


Have A Little Faith In Me

by Acherona, trulywicked



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Changes in characterization from Loki knowing his heritage from the start, Darcy and Loki are totally bros, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Jealousy, Loki isn't evil, M/M, Magic, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Selvig is an ass, Sentient Hammer, Thor's a cabbagehead, Violence, and childish, he's still a little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2017-12-14 11:25:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 65,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acherona/pseuds/Acherona, https://archiveofourown.org/users/trulywicked/pseuds/trulywicked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's only so long someone can go with being treated like a belonging. Loki has hit his limit and is taking a trip to get some breathing space. Of course Thor has to ruin it by being a brat but if Loki is lucky Thor will learn a lesson. If Thor is lucky he'll get his powers back. And if they're both lucky they'll have love to last an Asgardian lifetime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay a little explanation. This diverts from canon as Loki and all of Asgard know of his Jotun blood. He has Aesir appearance because Jotun skin would freeze Asgardians who don't have much magic so Frigga placed a glamor spell on him to prevent that. He is not adopted as their son but raised as Odin and Frigga's ward. Thor is older by enough to be speaking clearly. We don't give direct ages here because well Asgardian aging is funky.  
> As Loki is aware of his heritage and how he came to be Odin and Frigga's ward, he's not going to be a completly insane, evil little shit. Still a bit of a little shit but not an insane evil one.  
> It jumps from childhood to teen hood to the point when in adulthood, the events of Thor would have taken place. It'll make sense as you read.
> 
> The fic itself is a gift for Gwyllion from Y for her birthday.
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY GWYLLIE!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!

Odin looked at the blue tinted little creature, it was clear that the babe had been abandoned. Odin supposed he could understand it, even by Asgardian standards the child was tiny. In Jotun eyes the babe must be nothing but a speck of dust. He had no idea how a child had made it here unless its parents had left it since this place was nowhere near where the battle had stood.

 

He should leave it, kill it or let nature has it course. He should but he won’t. Odin can do cruel things but he doesn’t consider himself a cruel man. Besides Frigga would flay him alive if he left a child to die and she found out about it, which she would. His wife knew everything, he had given up trying to hide things from her eons ago.

 

Odin met the child’s eyes, surprisingly awake and attentive for such a small child. “Oh, you are going to be trouble I think.” A small smile quirked the Allfather’s lips as he the child looked at him, as if judging if he was worthy before allowing the older man to pick it up. “You are not quite the boon my people might be expecting. Something tells me you may be what they need though.” He could see much but the future was always murky, always changeable and fluid. Odin wrapped the child in his robes and set out to make the travel home.

 

Frigga was waiting, had steadfastly ignored the Casket of Ancient Winters being carried through their hall by her husband’s cheering warriors, and occasionally casting her eye to be sure that Thor, a bundle of energy just now managing to speak clearly so that it was understood by all and did not sound like babble interspersed with a few discernable words, was not getting into trouble. She had heard of her husband’s injured eye and she wanted a look at it herself, as well as a few moments to scold him for delaying seeking healing.

 

The hall door flew open once more and her husband strode in carrying something hidden in his arms. Oh if the hardheaded idiot had dallied in order to bring back treasure she was going to scalp him. She caught Thor by the arm as he ran forward to greet his father and shook her head once before speaking softly, “Wait.”

 

“Why?” Thor tilted his head, his bright blond, almost white, dandelion tufty hair standing out all over his head. He didn’t like waiting, his father was right there and he was bound to have some sort of gift with him. Thor wanted it.

 

Odin met his wife’s eyes, the pain in his own eye barely registering, he understood that there would be pain later but right now the song of battle still sang too loudly in his blood for him to feel it. He nodded to Frigga to follow him to their private chambers before it was time for feasting and his people’s praise. “I stumbled upon something unexpected my dear.” He pushed back the folds of his robes to reveal the still blue skinned babe, still serious and silent as the child regarded the strange place around it with an almost eerie calm.

 

“Oh!” Frigga immediately reached out to take the babe from her husband, understanding and flashes of where he’d been flickering through her as soon as the babe was in her arms. She was regarded by serious red eyes for a moment before the babe smiled and reached out a tiny blue hand to her. “Oh aren’t you a charming little one,” she smiled back and let the babe curl cold fingers around one of hers.

 

Thor stood on his tippy toes, bouncing on short, chubby legs to be able to see what it was that his mother was holding. “Mine!” He exclaimed happily, clapping his hands together before making grabby motions with them. “Give me! Mine.”

 

“Not yours Thor.” Odin said in a serious voice.

 

Rosy lips wibbled. “Mine.” Thor didn’t want to look at his father, he looked scary with blood all over the side of his face and neck. He wanted his new friend. The blue baby was his, Thor could feel it all the way inside.

 

Frigga crouched but spoke with a quiet scold to her tone, “Thor, he is not a pup. He is a person and people belong only to themselves and those they give themselves to. He can be a friend to you if you treat him kindly but he belongs only to himself.” She could see her words were going right over her son’s head and shared an exasperated look with her husband.

 

“I know he’s no pup...he’s _mine._ ” Huge blue eyes looked up at his mother before he reached out a hand to touch the baby, watching as the blue skin turned a rosy pink where he’d touched it. “See, he agrees...if it helps I can be his too.”

 

Frigga saw Odin’s expression turn speculative and huffed in exasperation, “On your head be it Odin Borson.” She stood back up, queen in every line of her body as she wove an enchantment over the babe, giving him a Aesir form so when others touched him he wouldn’t freeze their skin, “Thor and I will go introduce the hall to our new ward. _You_ go to the healers and get cleaned up.”

 

“As you wish my love.” Odin bowed his head to his queen, the only creature in all the worlds that he loved more than anything. He tossed one more look at his son and the new child, it could be beneficial to let them grow up together and see where it all would lead. He walked to see the healers and have his mangled eye or rather eye socket seen too.

 

“I wanna introduce him mother.” Thor kept bouncing, wishing he was allowed to carry the child, that he was big and strong enough to do so.

 

“Very well,” she gave him a quelling look, “But you will introduce him as a ward of our family only understood?”

 

“Why?” Ever since he’d learned to speak, why was Thor’s favorite word.

 

“Because he will be treated as if he is a mere possession if you say he’s ‘yours’. Introducing him as our family’s ward sends the message that he is a person and deserves the same respect as everyone else.”

 

“Of course he does and I will take on anyone who says he doesn’t.” Thor got angry just thinking about anyone being mean to his baby. “I’ll be good though. What is a ward?” He reached out to stroke his fingers over the babe’s skin again, wanting to touch him.

 

Frigga stooped to scoop her son up onto the hip opposite the babe. She had a feeling she’d be doing such often. “A ward is when a child is taken in by a family to be raised and cared for but not adopted.”

 

“‘Kay.” Thor didn’t really get it but he heard that the baby would be taken in and cared for by his family and that was enough for him. “Let’s do it, before everyone has too much mead. They get really loud when they do and they don’t listen to me.” Thor was quite perturbed about that, he liked the sound of his own voice.

 

Frigga’s lips twitched and she shook her head. Her son was entirely too spoiled. She stepped back out into the hall, her presence alone drawing the eye and readied herself to handle the objections she knew would be voiced, and loudly. Then again, Thor would get loud right back at them in defense of what was ‘his’ and one day she had no doubt that the babe in her arms would be instrumental in teaching her son that not everything was or could be as he wanted it.

 

\----------------------------------------------

 

Calm green eyes slid back and forth over a book’s page and their owner kept a sharp ear out for nuisances that would disrupt his reading. He sat by himself under a tree, a very pretty child, enjoying the day though wary of the bullies that could seem to spring from nowhere. Unfortunately for him the son of his guardians was friends with four of the biggest bullies though the four of them were careful not to pick on him in Thor’s hearing.

 

Volstagg had waited until he knew Thor was busy with private lessons with the Allfather before he approached the strange mutt the royal family had taken in. “If we were to stick him, do you think he would bleed ice water?” He turned to his companions, a smirk on his round face. “Should we try?”

 

Hogun, the quietest of the quartet looked around nervously. He knew picking on someone who never really fought back wasn’t right, and more he knew Thor would be most vexed if he were to find out, but for some reason his parents were always pleased when he made the King’s ward’s life difficult and they always gave him a treat so he went along with it.

 

Sif sneered at the boy that people whispered about, “One should do their best to make discoveries Volstagg. If not ice water, he likely bleeds blue.”

 

The boy closed his book and slowly stood up, taking note that he was surrounded, with all avenues of escape cut off. “Better to bleed blue than to have naught but marbles rolling about in one’s head.”

 

“Your tongue spills nothing but poison, perhaps that should be the first thing we test our theory on.” Volstagg was red in the face with embarrassment and anger.

 

Fandral stepped up behind Loki, ready to hold the slim boy in place. He wasn’t sure why he was doing this, he didn’t have anything against the other boy. Loki was clever and he could always make Fandral laugh but except for Thor, these were the only friends he had and he didn’t want to lose them. Besides, he heard the way the older warriors spoke of Loki, they didn’t like him so that had to mean that he wasn’t a good person right?

 

Volstagg got out a small, slender dagger, stepping closer toward Loki. He was very proud of that dagger and the fact that he was the first of their little group to get a real weapon with sharp edges.

 

“What is going on my friends?” Thor walked up to them with wide strides, all coltish and awkward limbs.

 

Sif shifted quickly so that Volstagg’s dagger was hidden behind her as he moved to put it away and she smiled at Thor, “We were inquiring after Loki’s health,” using the monster’s name near burnt her tongue but one adjusted their opinion of the foundling around Thor or met a fate most unpleasant.

 

“And such charming inquiries they were,” Loki knew the sarcasm would go over Odin’s son’s head. The blond was entirely too straightforward to understand sarcasm. Thor’s friends however were not nearly so oblivious and perhaps it was petty but seeing them stiffen but have no recourse for retaliation warmed his heart.

 

Thor frowned, he could see the stiffness of his friends as well but he misinterpreted it of course. “Your health? Are you feeling ill Loki?” He quickly stepped up to Loki, catching the younger boy’s chin in his hand and peering into the brilliantly green eyes. “Should I call for a healer? Do you wish to lie down? We can go to my chambers, I could read to you if you like.”

 

Volstagg wished he could rip the prince away from the monster. It was obvious to him that Loki had enchanted Thor somehow.

 

Loki only barely managed to keep from rolling his eyes at Thor’s excessive worry though the sight of Sif nearly turning green in jealousy helped. The blond boy was impossibly...impossible. One moment treating him like an ailing pet and the next like a comrade in arms. And people claimed him to be confusing? “I am perfectly well. I believe they merely find it confusing that I sit still for hours at a time. They are used to more action after all.” He carefully couched his tone so that only the four bullies got the insult to their intelligence and was rewarded by Hogun turning a bit red, whether in temper or embarrassment was up for debate.

 

“Ah, well you are strange one, sitting with your nose buried in a book for so long.” Thor was all smiles again as he loped his arm around Loki’s neck, pulling the other the boy close. “I was thinking we could go exploring, you are going to join us for that, won’t you Loki?” Thor turned blue puppy eyes on Loki.

 

“We could go see if Freya is out in her garden.” Fandral grinned.

 

“Why?” Thor still liked that word.

 

Loki wanted to shake his head. Oblivious. Thor was oblivious and somehow the blasted boy made it...adorable. “Because Fandral likes Freya’s gardening attire,” the short belted tunic was all the woman wore to tend her flowers, which was understandable as gardening was a messy business.

 

Sif looked over at Fandral in disgust, “I think we should find a Bilgesnipe and fight it. The antlers are worth a fortune!”

 

Loki opened his mouth to protest, they were all far too young to fight a Bilgesnipe and though he enjoyed irritating his bullies and found Thor occasionally irritating, he didn’t want anyone getting hurt. But Hogun chimed in with an agreement before he could make a peep of dissent.

 

“And think of the legends they’d tell of us!” Hogun pat his training bow and quiver of tiny darts.

 

Thor chewed on his bottom lip. “Aye, we would become legends. We would need to make a visit to Regin’s armory first. We can’t take on a Bilgesnipe with Hogun’s toothpicks and Volstagg’s sewing needle.” Thor knew that they would be in so much trouble if Regin the master smith would catch them in his armory but it was a risk they had to take if they wanted this adventure.

 

Fandral hesitated, he would much rather watch Freya’s naked limbs than go after a beast with fangs and razor sharp antlers. “I know where my father and brothers keep their weapons, it easier to get to those than to tempt Regin’s rage.”

 

“Lead the way my friend.” Thor slapped his shoulder merrily.

 

Loki flattened his lips in disapproval, muttering softly, “I sincerely doubt any of us can lift full size weapons of proper mettle to take on a bilgesnipe as yet.”

 

Sif huffed, “Afraid?”

 

“Wise. Legends and stories mean nothing if one isn’t around to enjoy them.” Loki let Thor pull him along however. _Someone_ had to keep an eye on the fool to keep him whole and clearly the brainless three and the lady arrogance were not up to the task..

 

“It will be fine, all we need is a lucky blow.” Thor was grinning brightly. “And you are my lucky charm.” He pulled on Loki’s inky black hair. “You come up with the plan, you are so clever so you can do it. We follow your plan and take the beast down...glory and praise for us all.”

 

Volstagg eyed Loki suspiciously, this would be an excellent opportunity for the monster to have all of them killed and make it look like an accident. “I’ll have my eyes on you.” He hissed at Loki.

 

“So that’s where the skin crawling sensation will come from,” Loki drawled. He’d do his best to direct them in naught but a fruitless circle until time for dinner, that was something neither Volstagg nor Thor would ever miss, but the looks that Volstagg and Sif were exchanging were making it clear that would be far more difficult than he wished to deal with. Damn.

 

They raided Fandral’s family weaponry, Loki accepting the large dagger Thor passed him, that at their age was far more like a sword than the actual swords, and then Thor was leading the way into the forest where the foul smelling bilgesnipe lived.

 

Thor couldn’t stop smiling even as they crawled under clingy branches and stepped through creeks and dense undergrowth. The thrill of the chase was humming inside him. He was out on adventure with his Loki and his friends, the sun was shining through the trees and he had managed to tear Loki away from his precious books, what could be better?

 

A sharp scent hit his nose, both bitter and a musky sweet scent, like decaying flesh and he slowed his steps. “There, over the ridge.” His voice was barely a whisper.

 

Loki hissed, “This is folly.”

 

“Aww you can wait here princess,” Sif smiled back at him.

 

“Don’t blame me if you wind up with a scar on your face or all your pretty golden hair burnt off then.” Loki crept forward with the rest of them though and peered over the ridge, eyes going wide at the sight of two adult bilgesnipe tending to a nest. Oh no. No. This was a very, very bad idea. “We need to leave, _now_.” One bilgesnipe would be bad enough, two parents protecting their nest? It would be insanity.

 

“Loki is right.” Even Fandral was surprised by his agreement. “They are nesting, do you not remember what the mother bear did to Esbjorn? A nesting Bilgesnipe is ten times worse and there are two of them here. We do not stand a chance. More than that, we should not deprive a hatchling of their sires, there is no honor in that.”

 

Hogun nodded, “Aye, there is not. We can fight a bilgesnipe another day, outside of nesting season."

 

Not if Loki had anything to say about it. He nudged Thor in the side and whispered as lowly as he could, "Let's go." He check to make sure the bilgesnipe hadn't heard him and felt relief flicker through him when all he saw was one of them vomiting up meat for the hatchlings to feed on.

 

Even Sif was beginning to edge back, not fool enough to challenge a mother and father creature with sharp spines, teeth, and claws.

 

Thor’s hand was clenching and unclenching around the handle of the dagger he was holding. He didn’t like the idea of backing down. He wasn’t eager to kill a parent no matter what species they were but he hated the idea of backing down, of not being able to prove his courage and strenght. “Very well, let us retreat. We are not too far from the clear lake, we might as well get some fishing done.” That way the day wouldn’t be a complete waste.

 

Volstagg scoffed. “Pansies.”

 

“What did you say?” Thor immediately straightened up, stepping on a dry branch.

 

There was a terrible screech coming from one of the grown bilgesnipes as it turned its horned head and stared Thor down.

 

Loki sucked in a sharp breath and pushed at Thor, “Back away. Now. You too idiot,” he hissed at Volstagg, “If we’re lucky they won’t consider us a threat if we move slow and easy and _away_.”

 

Sif was more than happy to follow that advice. She hated the foundling but she knew better than to challenge him in this situation.

 

Hogun was doing the self-same thing, making sure Fandral was as well.

 

Volstagg backed up too, trying his best to make himself as small and unthreatening as possible.

 

Thor was waiting, not letting Loki push him. He was a prince, he was going to be a warrior and a leader of his people and it was his job to make sure the people on this expedition made it home safe. He still gripped the dagger tightly.

 

Loki went from pushing to pulling as the bilgesnipe focused more sharply on Thor. He grabbed the back of the prince’s belt and pulled as hard as he could, “Thor, please! Let’s just go before they charge.” Another crack came from behind him, another branch being stepped on, and the bilgesnipe gave a loud shriek.

 

Loki turned and yelled at the others, “Run! Go get Odin!”

 

Sif turned and was already letting her long legs eat up the distance, her face pale as milk as she paced just a little ahead of her fellow three adventurers while Loki tried to move Thor.

 

Fandral’s heart was in his throat and he could taste blood in his mouth as he ran as quickly as he could. He should never have agreed to this, they should have known better. If everyone made it out safe then Odin was going to kill them. Or Frigga, she was possibly even more scary then the Allfather himself.

 

Thor was hissing at Loki to run too. “I can hold them off until you are safe. But you have to run. Do it now Loki, please.”

 

“Not without you! You may be a prince but you’re still a child just like us! You can’t hold off a fully grown bilgesnipe on your own.” Loki made a growl and used the magic Frigga had been tutoring him in to make several trees fall down in the path of the charging bilgesnipe, “Now come on!” He made the earth rise under Thor’s feet to budge the other boy, giving him enough leverage to start pulling him a  few steps.

 

Thor made a frustrated sound, how was he going to keep Loki safe if Loki didn’t cooperate with him. He allowed his feet to move so that he wouldn’t fall flat on his face as Loki pulled on him but made sure to keep himself between Loki and bilgesnipe at all times. If the beast attacked then it would have to go through him in order to get to Loki. “I am not a child, I will always be older than you baby blue.” The sun reflected on the blade of the dagger and the beast behind them made another screech.

 

“Older but clearly not wiser!” It was an irritated and terrified snap, Thor’s stubbornness was slowing them down. If he’d just turn and start moving in the same direction as the others, away from the bilgesnipe, they might make it to a safe place before the beast caught them. Another screech caught his ears, barely audible over his pounding heart, and the bilgesnipe that had spotted them was suddenly just _there_ , barbed tail slashing out to knock Thor’s dagger away before the massive head swung and threw them both toward a large tree. One of the golden horns caught along Loki’s cheek, splitting it open, bright red blood sliding down the pale skin.

 

The side of Thor’s head had slammed into the trunk of the tree and his vision was a bit blurry but he could see the blood on Loki’s face and that made him feel ice cold with dread inside. His wrist was broken from the barbed tail but he crawled so that he was covering Loki’s smaller frame with his body. “Loki, are you okay?” His voice was breathless with panic as reached out with his unarmed hand to check the wound on Loki’s cheek.

 

“I’m fine. It’s just a cut,” Loki grabbed Thor’s arm and using the tricks he’d been taught by Tyr, a rare kind individual among the Aesir, he used leverage and a twist to throw Thor out of the way, separating them as the bilgesnipe charged again. He took the dagger Thor had handed him and threw it with unerring accuracy at the beast, the blade sinking into one burning red eye and drawing its attention away from Thor and to him. As the creature charge him he shook in terror but knew that if he didn’t keep it’s attention it would kill Thor before help came.

 

He saw Thor throw a rock at the bilgesnipe, saw it turn, and screamed out a denial as it went for the blond idiot. His hands spread out and he reached deep down inside himself for every bit of power he had, using even the power from the spell Frigga had cast on him to mask his jotun appearance into one of Aesir, to send an instinctive spell at the bilgesnipe. Great ice spires speared up from underneath the beast, driving through the green and brown body before it reached Thor and impaling it so at least it couldn’t move.

 

Loki didn’t know if he’d killed the beast or not as he fell to the ground unconscious as soon as the surge of magic faded.

 

Thor was yelling, screaming himself hoarse as he made his way over to Loki. He wasn’t sure if his Loki was alive or not and he knew it was only a matter of time before the other bilgesnipe would come looking for its mate.

 

There was a rumbling sound and Odin appeared on Sleipner, Gungnir in his hand and Thor could practically taste the anger in the air around his father as he practically tossed both boys up on the horse before turning it around, Sleipner’s eight legs eating up the ground beneath him.

 

Frigga was holding court over the other four miscreants, her gaze angrily disapproving on them for their foolishness, when Odin thundered up with Thor and Loki. She turned her gaze on her son and watched him shrink, “Heimdall warned us before your friends arrived.” She strode over and held out imperious arms for Loki, who was still unconscious, “Once you’re healed we will be having a discussion on listening to the wisdom of others over your own pride.”

 

“Aye Mother.” Thor nodded, feeling very small all of a sudden. “Can I come with my Loki?” He just wanted to know that Loki was alright.

 

“No.” It was Odin who spoke. “You shall be healed and then you will be banished to your chambers for the time being. There are always consequences of your actions and it is time you learned that. You are not allowed to meet or see Loki until I say you can.”

 

Thor looked horrified, that was the worst punishment he could think of. Loki was his, he needed to see him and be with him everyday. 

 

“In addition,” Frigga’s voice was cold as she held Loki close, his little body slack in her arms, the chest rising and falling with his soft breathing, “You are also disallowed to spend time with Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Sif and they are barred from coming here until _I_ say so. This was utter foolishness and none of you listened to the one voice of reason.” She turned then and carried Loki off to tend to him.

 

Fandral was pale as a ghost, something clenched inside him at the sight of Loki’s bloodied face. His blood very, very red. He could also see his father Halvdan in the crowd and he did not look happy.

 

Thor drooped as he was led away by a healer to have his head and wrist looked at. He just wanted to be at Loki’s side.

 

Sif saw her mother and squinched down as small as she could because her mother looked furious. She had no doubts that she was looking at a very, very long time of being kept in the house and doing girly chores as well as having all her weaponry and training gear taken away.

 

Hogun hung his head as he saw his parents looking at him in shame, though he rather thought it was more that this was very public and Thor had been in danger that shamed them than anything else.

 

Volstagg’s mother just stepped forward, grabbed her son by the ear and dragged him home, shame over him turning her cheeks red. Since his father had died in battle with the ice giants it was just the two of them but she thought she had raised him better than this.

 

Odin sighed and whispered in Sleipner’s ear, sending the huge stallion away again. He was reeling inside from how badly this could have turned out. How close he had been to lose both his son and Loki who was as dear to him as his own flesh and blood. Thor was cocky and reckless as the same time as he cared so much. Odin worried about him. That pride and recklessness would be Thor’s downfall.

 

Frigga laid Loki down in his bed and checked him over for any other injuries than the one on his cheek before she took a cloth and cleaned the cut. After his face was clean of the blood she laid her hand over the gash and chanted a soft healing spell that closed it up before she placed the Aesir glamor back on him. She smoothed his hair back away from his face looking over her shoulder as her husband came in, “He’s alright. Magically exhausted for some reason but the only injury was on his cheek.”

 

“He took down a fullgrown, nesting bilgesnipe all by himself.” Odin stepped up and ran his fingers over the healing cheek. “Spikes of ice piercing through it. Even Gungner has trouble piercing that scaly skin. I balk to think of how much magic that would have taken. He is very, very powerful. And he did what he did to save our fool of a boy.”

 

Her eyes softened, “Well for all that Thor does occasionally irritate him, they are very close.” She stripped the dirty clothes from Loki and put him in a soft linen nightgown before pulling a sheet up over him, “He drew on everything he had. That magical reserve will grow with him.”

 

“I have no doubt it will.” Odin gave his wife a rare smile. “Will you teach him? I believe you are the one best suited to do so. My magic is that of a warrior, Loki’s magic is much more vast than that and closer to yours.” It was a horrible thought and Odin wouldn’t voice it out loud but sometimes he truly wished Thor was more like Loki. How he and Frigga could have produced such a hotheaded lug for a son he did not know.

 

Her gaze was deeply amused and knowing but she kissed his cheek, “Of course I will but you may soon come to regret it.” She also had a feeling that as soon as Loki recovered from his exhaustion, Odin would find enforcing the ban against Thor seeing him very, very difficult. “Go out with a party and get the antlers. I believe that Loki deserves to have them in some form.”

 

“Perhaps we should make a helmet with them on, to protect that clever little head from more injuries.” Odin smiled again, running his knuckles over Frigga’s soft cheek before leaving to round up some of his warriors to harvest the antlers and dispose of the carcass. 

 

“Hmm,” Frigga studied Loki and nodded even though there was no one to see or hear her, “I believe that would be wonderfully wise.”


	2. Chapter 2

Loki didn’t change much from child to leggy youth. He still spent more of his time buried in a book than he did roaming the land looking for trouble. Only now he spent his reading time up in the tree rather than at the bottom of it. Only Sif was slight enough to make it up to his perch and after the prank involving her hair she preferred to avoid him. It was her own fault for dropping his book in the mud and stomping on it.

He glanced over at where Thor was holding a sort of court with the four irritants and cocked a brow at the sight of Fandral turning purple and Thor laughing.

“Doesn’t matter if you turn maroon or attempt to strike me down, it does not change the truth of Anna’s words.” Thor was still chuckling, much more comfortable in his skin now. He was still slender but he was beginning to fill in and he would soon be the warrior he longed to be.

“It was cold, the water was freezing.” Fandral was flailing. “Anna has loose lips.”

“But you would not mind her using those lips on you now would you?” Volstagg waggled his brows that had turned impressively bushy for someone so young.

Hogun laughed at his friend’s discomfiture, “He babbled about a dream involving just that not three days ago.”

Loki rolled his eyes. Really was it any surprise that none of those four idiots, he was including Thor in that number, had yet to have so much as a first kiss with that sort of talk. He could see Sif looking at her favorite dagger as if contemplating using it on the others even as the girl under discussion came into the clearing and went to the cherry tree Loki was in with a basket to gather the falling petals.

“Anna, my fair maiden, may I help you with that?” Fandral was practically falling over his own feet, rushing to the girl’s side, making Thor laugh even harder.

Thor couldn’t deny that he had begun to see the appeal of pretty lips and pretty hair and a round bosom as well as strong legs and a sharp jaw. Maiden or Man, he could see the beauty in both. Seeing Fandral try to woo Anna Borgdottir was insanely amusing though.

Loki shook his head, despairing of Fandral’s fumbling. Really he didn’t see how it could be so hard for Fandral to turn a maiden’s head. He was handsome enough and normally smooth tongued but let a girl he was interested in pass by and he turned into a slobbering mess. One Loki was not interested in viewing. He clapped his book shut and jumped down from his spot in the tree, not noticing that Fandral’s interest eyed him and his leather trousers like a cut of meat as he walked away. His mind was already on the new spell he was attempting to master and not the asinine courting games of those around him. Maybe if he used flame energy instead of water this time it would work?

Blue eyes narrowed as Thor watched Anna brush Fandral off and rush after Loki, braids and hips both swinging as she ran to catch up with Loki. He didn’t like it; perhaps Anna was a shrew after all, with loose lips and all.

“Wait Loki, wait please.” Anna fell into step with him, smiling sweetly and tossing her strawberry blonde brain over her shoulder. “I was hoping we could talk a little. You know how the other boys are.” She rolled her eyes. “All weapons and hunting and who’s got the biggest sword.” Anna let out a giggle at that.

He blinked once and cocked a brow in question, coming a hair within cutting her down to bite sized pieces with his sharp tongue. In the back of his head he heard Frigga admonishing him to be polite if he could not stir himself to nice. There would also be the bonus of annoying Fandral. “And what would you like to discuss?”

"Can you tell me about magic? I find it so fascinating but alas, I lack any talent for it." Anna sighed deeply, a practiced move that let her newly developed bosom heave. "Also I was wondering if you have a companion for the great feast approaching." She blinked her eyes at him hopefully.

Fandral glared after the pair, his frown matched only by Thor's. "Your Loki is but a scoundrel."

Thor growled. "And your fish lipped Anna is nothing but a hag."

Sif rolled her eyes, “And the both of you are idiots. Can you not see that his sole purpose is to irritate you Fandral? Look he doesn’t even notice her practically shoving her bosom up into his face,” she gestured at the pair.

And she was right. Loki didn’t so much as glance down as he spoke with the girl and it wasn’t because he was trying to ignore the flaunting. He just genuinely was not interested in Anna’s breasts in the least little bit. He wasn’t even stirred to be scathing of the obvious ploy. “Nay, I’ve never seen the need for seeking out a companion for the feast. There abounds plentiful company should one seek it.”

"If you were to take me..." Anna let her voice drift off, aware of the innuendo in her words. "Well...then you would not have to seek out company from any other."

"She's still a hag." Thor muttered. He could understand Loki teasing Fandral and there was nothing wrong with a little jest but now that chit was touching Loki and Thor did not approve of that.

 Loki looked on her in amusement and leaned in to murmur for her hearing only, as if sharing a joke, “Have you not seen the Prince? He comes seeking _me_ out and brings his tag alongs with him.” He straightened and considered. Frigga had expressed concern over his lack of interest in any sort of dalliance. Perhaps if he agreed to spend the evening entertaining Anna she would cease fretting over it and leave him to concentrate on his studies. “If you think you could show patience with that habit it would be my honor to escort you.”

 The way Fandral turned puce was an early reward to Loki’s mind.

 "Loki!" It wasn't quite a roar but almost. "Time to leave, Father is expecting us." Thor strode past them, glaring at Anna's smug expression as he clenched his fists so tightly his nails were cutting into his palms. His stomach was feeling upset, perhaps he had eaten something off.

 Volstagg gritted his teeth and turned to his three companions. "First he manages to worm his way into the Prince's favor and now that monster is enchanting our maidens. What will come next?"

 Sif pushed at his shoulder and hissed, “I don’t like the foundling any more than you but we would be wise not to voice it in such a manner.”

 Loki turned and gave Thor a vaguely irritated look before giving Anna a polite bow, “If you will please excuse me, apparently I’m forgetting an appointment with the Allfather.” He followed after Thor, frowning at the back of the blond head until they were out of the others’ earshot, “That was rude Thor.”

"Was it?" It was said in a bored tone of voice, Thor didn't care one bit if he was rude or not, he just wanted to get his Loki away from fish lips. "So is taunting Fandral and stealing away the object of his affections, as misplaced as they might be."

“Taunting Fandral is something I do regularly and I did not _ask_ for the blasted twit’s interest,” Loki scowled at Thor, “but as I have it I can _use_ it to make your mother cease her fretting over my ‘lack of companionship’. She starts every lesson off with a twenty minute lecture these days, it’s tiresome.” He flicked an unruly bit of hair out of his face, “And I stole _nothing_. If Fandral would stop tripping over his own tongue and act normal he’d find it very easy to attract the chit.”

Thor just harrumphed under his breath and kicked a stone out of the way with the toe of his leather boot. "I do not understand why Mother is unhappy. You have me, we spend time together."

Loki rolled his eyes, “Her concern is that I have no companions _outside_ of you. She wants me to have _friends_ ,” the flavor he put on the word made it sound like he’d just been told he should cover himself in dung, “of my own. I don’t particularly understand why myself. I am content as I a-”

“LOKI!” The angry bellow preceded the entrance of one of the larger warriors, who appeared to be covered in some sticky green substance. “I’ll wring your neck for this you little bastard!”

Loki’s eyes went wide as he took in the man, wide and confused. This was not something he’d done, though he probably should have thought to do so. For once he was innocent of a prank. He doubted that the humongous warrior would listen to that however so he did the only logical thing to do. He ran.

"Alvar, wait. Why don't you tell me what happened?" Thor might be spoiled and headstrong but when it came to the people he cared about he would go to any length to keep them safe. He stepped right into the path of the warrior, giving Loki time to run and get himself somewhere safe where no one could get to him.

“You know very well. That beast you call yours is at his tricks again! My mead barrel cracked whilst I carried it to the feast preparations and this,” Alvar gestured at the green goo, “was inside. Now all the barrels must be opened to ensure they are not in the same state.” It was growled out. Alvar was very proud of his mead making skills.

A delicate bell-like giggle came from behind a tree and eyes a lighter green than Loki’s peered out from it before a flash of golden blond hair was dashing away in mischief.

"Loki is not a beast." Thor's eyes were drawn to the unknown figure. "Though it sounds like a joke my Loki could play, I do not believe he is the one to blame this time." With those words Thor was giving chase after the mysterious creature with the delightful laugh.

Said mysterious creature led him to a grove of pear trees, ducking behind one and peering out at him, eyes dancing, “Good evening tide my Prince. Many pardon for your Loki getting the blame for my practice.”

"My Loki can handle it." Thor took a step closer, his eyes full of curiosity. "Besides, it matters not since you will save him from shouldering blame by taking responsibility will you not!" Oh the creature was a pretty vision. Thor couldn't take his eyes off her.

“Aye, once Alvar calms himself. I’ve no wish to bear his full anger. Twas only a single barrel in any case,” she made a pretty pout, “I am not foolish enough to ruin all the mead for the celebration and have everyone coming down upon my head. I rather like it sitting precisely where it is.”

“If you wish to wait for Alvar to calm down then Loki will spend a week on the run.” Thor frowned slightly. “As pretty as your head is, I am afraid I cannot accept that.” He scratched at the soft, downy facial hair that was beginning to come in.

“No, I don’t suppose you could. Tis vexing to be separated from a dear friend,” she tilted her head, “Could I request your assistance in keeping my head where it is then?  As Alvar is mad enough to use his axe on my neck at present?”

“Aye that I can promise,” Thor smiled brightly, all worry gone now that the pretty girl had agreed with him and Loki would no longer be in trouble, not for this prank in any case. “The only metal that should come close to that pretty neck should be jewelry.”

She gave that bell like laugh again and stepped out from behind the tree, slim and sleek as a doe, in breeches and a short tunic matching her eyes rather than the dresses most girls favored, “Thank you my Prince. Shall we get the unpleasant business of dealing with Alvar’s ire out of the way?”

“Can I tell you a secret? Dealing with Alvard is unpleasant even on the best of days.” Thor smirked and offered the strange girl his arm, wondering why he’d never seen her around before. He didn’t know all the Aesir but he was at least aware of most people his own age. “May I ask your name or should I make one up for you?”

She took his arm with a bright, mischievous smile as they got underway, “I am tempted to see what you would concoct but you may have my name. Tis Amora.”

“Amora,” Thor tasted the name. “A name of love for a lovely girl, very fitting indeed,” He slowly led the way back to where he could hear that Alvar was still yelling. “I am Thor.”

She took in the sight of Alvar distastefully even as she replied to Thor, “You name is well known my Prince. I didn’t address you by it as that would be horrible etiquette on my part, to use your name before gaining permission. By the Stars he is unpleasant, makes me long to master the silence spell,” her pixish nose wrinkled.

“If you do, I will implore Father to gift you with a title.” Thor chuckled. “And please, do call me by my name.” He schooled his features into something that he hoped was more princely as they approached the raging warrior. “Alvar Leifson, a word please.”

The red-faced, green goo covered man turned, face sharp with his fury, and stalked over, “Aye?”

Amora blinked her big green eyes sadly up at him, “I’m afraid I must apologize, Alvar. I was practicing and one of the spells bounced off a mirror to hit the barrel you were carrying.” She was the abject picture of regret, “Twas an accident but you grew so angry before I could speak that I feared to. The rest of the mead should be fine.”

“You!” He didn’t appear moved, though the others in the vicinity, drawn by Alvar’s bellows, certainly were, “We don’t need magic users such as you around bratling. Loki is bad enough! You’re good for nothing but causing trouble and should never have been taken back from the Grove!”

“Oh,” Amora’s eyes shimmered with tears, there but not falling and she ducked her head like a kicked kitten, drawing ire upon Alvar for his bad behavior and harsh words to such a delicate lass.

“Enough Alvar!” Thor raised his voice, happy that it didn’t crack for once as it was want to do these days. “Do I have to remind you that my Mother is one of those magic users and that my Father knows the practice of magic as well? Hold your tongue and think before you speak ill of anyone. This girl came to you willingly, apologizing for a mistake and you heap abuse on her. Shame on you.”

The man started making sounds like an insulted goose.

Up in a tree again, hidden by a cloaking spell, Loki watched the scene with amusement. Much as he hated to agree with Alvar on _anything_ he did rather think the girl beside Thor was trouble. He knew false sincerity when he saw it and crocodile tears were as obvious to him as the smell of a bilgesnipe and that girl was very nearly covered with the aura of lies and trickery. He smirked as Alvar’s wife came forward and forced him to apologize for his insults before swatting him to the bath house with her broom and the unknown girl quietly thanked Thor. Oh she was _good_.

Which, thinking about it, might be a very bad thing if she wanted to take advantage of Thor. He’d have to keep an eye on the girl.

“I apologize for Alvar’s harsh words, please do not think that all of the warriors of my Father’s court are the same.” Thor looked pained at the sight of Amora’s tears. Sif never cried and Thor found himself willing to do anything to make this sweet girl smile again. “Do me the honor of letting me be your guide to the feast, I can show you that there is kindness as well then.”

Amora looked up at him after wiping away the tears under cover of her curtain of hair, making it seem like she was trying to hide them while also getting the most impact out of their mere existence, “Really? Is there not some lass you’ve had your eye on to take instead? I couldn’t take your time away from someone you wish to woo.”

Loki cocked a brow. She was _very_ good.

“Nay, I had planned to spend the evening with my Loki and my friends and you are a friend of mine now, are you not?” Thor smiled gently and brushed a lock of pale blond hair away from Amora’s cheek.

Said cheeks turned a soft pink, “Then I would be honored to accept...Thor.”

Loki nearly fell out of his tree laughing at the shy way she used Thor’s name for if there was one thing this girl was _not_ it was shy. He’d have to look into recent arrivals from the Grove at his next magic lesson, Frigga would know about this girl he had no doubt.

“Excellent, I am most pleased.” Thor nearly bounced on his heels, so happy that the girl was smiling again. “I look forward to escorting you through a pleasant evening. Now if you excuse me, I must find my Loki and let him know he is no longer needed to run.” He bowed slightly at Amora.

Loki watched her smile and was surprised when she glanced at him, spring green eyes knowing even though he knew his cloaking spell was still working. He dropped it now though, as the game was almost certainly given away.

“I myself must go and finish my lessons for the day. But you my Lord, have a very short trip. Just look up.”

Thor did as he was bid and barked out a laugh at the sight of the coltish boy up in the tree. “I should have known, come down here Loki mine. We can thumb our noses at Alvar together.” He beamed at the other boy. “And look, I have found us a new friend.”

“So I see,” Loki made his way down gracefully, landing beside Thor, “And a clever one as well.”

Amora’s lips twitched in acknowledgement and she inclined her head, “Thank you. May I use your name?”

“Speak it if you wish, as I’ve no title to be used, unlike this one,” he angled his head at Thor. He was careful not to give her permission to _use_ his name. That was dangerous with a magic user.

Thor looked between the two magic wielders, sensing some sort of undercurrents between when but he couldn’t understand what they were. Perhaps it was simply a magic thing. He hoped that they would get along. Thor honestly did not like sharing Loki with anyone but at least Amora was a better choice than fish lips. “We will all have a merry time together I hope. Now I was telling the truth about Father wanting to see us and I think we are about to become very late.”

Amora sketched a curtsey, “I shall not keep you then. Good morrow.”

Loki nodded, “Good morrow, and use less earth energy next time. It makes it stickier.” He looked over at Thor as the girl rushed away, “You’re a cabbagehead. Let’s go.”

“Aye, we should and I am not a cabbagehead. You are a rabbit though, at least you run like one.” Thor grinned and shouldered Loki in the side in good humor as he let them to toward his Father’s chamber to hear what the Allfather wanted with them.

“Better to run and live to run another day than to be crushed under Alvar’s ire. And you _are_ a cabbagehead, you just don’t know it, hence a reason why you are.” It was old banter, and if it kept Thor from speaking the ever irritating ‘mine’ toward him he’d keep it up for eternity.

“I shall be kind enough to tell cook to serve you nothing but carrot sticks and dandelion leaves then little rabbit. Leave the steak for me.” Thor grinned as he pushed the doors to his father’s room open.

“There you are, amazing that it takes the better part of an hour to go fetch Loki.” Odin’s voice was dry. Of course he already knew what had happened. “Anyway, come along, I have something to show you.” He stood and led the boys toward the armory.

Loki, as was his wont, looked around observing everything. He did remember being here before of course, during tours and warnings and gifts of small weaponry such as his daggers but there was a different feel to this trip.

Thor was watching the huge broadswords, axes and spears with covetous eyes, fingers itching to grip hold of them. He had weapons training every day but he had not yet been allowed a weapon such as this.

“You are not getting one now either so you can rein those thoughts in.” Odin sounded dryly amused. He led them both to an alcove where a rather plain looking hammer rested. “This is Mjolnir, she is quite tempestuous.”

“It’s a hammer Father.” Thor looked confused.

“Indeed, you have great powers of observation. Why don’t you and her get acquainted Thor, I have something else to show Loki.” Odin beckoned Loki to come along with him.

Loki followed, unable to hide his snicker when Thor yelped, Mjolnir clearly scolding him for being called _just_ a hammer, “He never learns.” He’d expressed much the same sentiment around Odin before and held no worry that he would be punished for doing so now as he trailed behind the Allfather through the halls to a well secured and locked vault.

“Nay, he seems to be a particularly thick cabbagehead.” Odin agreed, fondness coloring his voice. “I still hold out hope that you might one day be the one to teach him.” He placed a hand on the door of the vault, runes lighting up underneath his fingers. “Now you know all about your heritage, about what you are. What is in here is yours, I am just holding onto it for you until you are of proper age.” Odin opened the door and motioned Loki through it. He loved Loki like his own son and they had never hidden anything about what he was from him.

Loki’s lips parted and he circled the box resting on a pillar, feeling the magic of it resonating with him even at a distance, “The Casket of Ancient Winters.”

 He let a long breath slide out as he controlled his magic’s instinctive reach for the artifact, leashing himself. He could only imagine the fury of those in Jotunheim at the knowledge that Asgard held the Casket and even just imagining made him shiver. He didn’t like the thought of all that anger being directed at Odin, Frigga and most of all Thor.

“It is very well guarded.” Odin placed a hand on Loki’s thin shoulder. “I did not bring you here to cause you worry. The casket is yours by right and by birth and Frigga and I agree that you should know about it. Learn to wield its power if it should ever prove necessary.” Odin knew the devastation the casket could cause if opened but it wasn’t his right or his will to keep anything from his ward. “You are very dear to us Loki.”

Loki looked over at Odin, his own posture easing in acceptance though he didn’t voice the mutual feeling. He didn’t doubt Odin knew regardless. He circled the artifact again, head tilting first one way then another, “It doesn’t need to be opened to be used I don’t think. Closed, it feels...like a power source of a sort. Magic condensed and multiplied into infinity,” he didn’t connect his own magic to it, not now, that would be too much and very likely corrupting before he had the chance to train himself to it, “Open it’s nothing but destruction but closed,” he peered closely at the etchings on it, Jotun in origin and _not_ Asgardian so of course Odin wouldn’t be able to read them. Jotunscript was something Loki had only recently learned as it wasn’t taught so much as merely known as a Jotun aged. “Closed it can power creation. Hm,” he straightened and stepped back before he could give into the temptation to touch.

“See there, that is why you needed to be told about it. So you can learn.” Odin knew that Loki was clever, probably much more so than he himself would ever be. He had no doubt that his ward would figure out just how to use the casket before long. “Simply tell me if you wish to come here and study it. I am afraid I cannot let you in on your own just yet but if I am free I am willing to come with you. Otherwise Frigga will join you.”

He nodded, “I know myself well and it’s best that I have someone here so I don’t give in to temptation.” He stepped further back from the pillar holding the casket. It called to him, pulled on him, trying to overpower his will with a siren song, and resisting it was starting to make his head ache, “Should we check on the cabbagehead?”

“Mmm,” Odin nodded, pride welling up inside him for this strange boy, that he was able to resist temptation. “Mjolnir only lets the worthy wield her; it will be interesting to see what we will face out there.” As much as the casket had been a test for Loki, Mjolnir was one for Thor, a test Odin hoped he would pass.

“Likely a bit of cursing, pouting, and then crowing when he finally stops being a total cabbagehead,” Loki fell into step beside Odin as they made their way back to Thor, his headache fading as the casket was once again locked away. He’d have to make a plan on how to approach it and learning about it before he stepped into that chamber again.

“I suspect you are right.” Odin smiled faintly as they walked back to where his son and heir was, seemingly having a loud argument with a hammer, magical and powerful as it might be. He resisted the urge to shake his head or roll his eye. Sometimes he really did not know what to make of the fruit of his loins, Thor was in a league all his own.

Loki had no problem giving into both urges and his eyeroll and headshake were eloquent as he watched Thor argue with Mjolnir and the hammer let up its grip just long enough that it jerked up and smacked Thor in the mouth when he got particularly offensive. Then the hammer dropped again and Loki was turning his head away, lips pressing together to keep from laughing. Stars what a cabbagehead.

Thor raised a hand to his bleeding lip, growling at the hammer in front of him and barely keeping himself from jumping up on the alcove to kick the blasted thing. Mjolnir was calling to him; he had felt it the moment he laid his hand on her. She was his, just as Loki was but it appeared that she was just as stubborn as well. “What do you want from me you bloody menace?”

Loki just couldn’t help himself, he really couldn’t, and he muttered irritably, recognizing exactly what the problem was, “How about respect?” Oh he sympathized with Mjolnir. It was far from easy to be what Thor considered _his_.

Thor looked crestfallen, letting his hands drop to his sides and blood drip down his chin. “I respect her, the power she holds, and she is exquisite and beautiful.” He was talking about the hammer but he was looking at Loki. “I simply do not comprehend why she does not like me.”

Odin sighed. “We can try another time perhaps.” He was slightly disappointed though he hid it well. Thor needed to grow up, he was going to be the leader of his people but he was nowhere near ready and Odin was beginning to despair that he would ever be.

“I imagine she likes you perfectly fine cabbagehead, but respecting her power and beauty is entirely different from respecting her as a partner in your endeavors. _Entirely_ different,” Loki adjusted the straps of his arm guard. “Dinner’s not far off. As Lord Odin says, try another day.”

Thor did not like it, he did not want to try another day, he wanted to succeed now. He really did not understand what Loki was speaking of. He did respect Mjolnir as a partner, just as he respected and relied on Loki. Yes they belonged to him, he was firm in that belief but he was just as much theirs, he would do anything, anything at all for Loki and now for Mjolnir as well. “Very well,” Thor straightened his back and schooled his features into a mask of disinterest before striding out in front of the other two, pretending that he didn’t hear his father’s sigh.

Loki shook his head and followed, “One day mayhap the cabbagehead will learn, but clearly not today.” His words were for Odin alone, pitched solely for the Allfather’s ears, “Or mayhap Mjolnir might take it in her head to teach him a lesson better than I obviously can.”

“Time will tell, it is after all what time does.” Odin walked slowly and locked up the armory behind them. He was concerned but happy that Thor had Loki; at least Loki could talk some sense into his son most of the time.

\---------------------------

Loki was managing, barely, to keep from rolling his eyes at Anna’s incessant babble on things he could not care less about as he stood, sipping on apple nectar, waiting for the dancing to open. He swept the room and spotted Thor with his friends and Amora, and if nothing else Amora was an excellent way to annoy Sif. The now dark haired warrior girl looked ready to kill. The sound of the blond sorceress’ name from Anna’s lips caught his attention. Gossip could be useful.

“I do not know how that snake managed to worm her way in here but she should be tossed out on her ear.” Anna was not happy at all with the presence of the blonde girl or the way she wore a tunic that nearly showed more than it hid. “She was even thrown out of the Grove and you know what sort of people that are there.” She threw a quick glance at Loki, her cheeks turning red. “No offense of course. You are of an entirely different caliber.” Anna turned her gaze back on Amora. “Anyway, she was thrown out of the Grove for violating magical ethics. She should not be let anywhere near decent people, much less the royal family.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust as Thor tossed his head back and laughed at something Amora said.

Loki’s brow rose, “Violating the Grove’s ethics?” He studied Amora more carefully. The Grove had strict ethical guidelines for their magical use, far stricter than any he adhered to. Harm none, no manipulation of the seasons, no using magic for your own gain were only some of the rules. He wondered which it was that caused Amora’s expulsion, and if he’d have to make moves to protect Thor.

Anna nodded eagerly, pleased that she finally had Loki’s attention. She had been trying to get it all evening, using all her charms. “It is all very hush hush, you know how the Grove likes to take care of their own business but apparently Amora used a fire spell on a fellow student for saying something unflattering about her hair. The other student was very badly hurt.”

Useful gossip indeed. Yes that was just the sort of petty, dangerous temper he’d need to protect Thor from. And he had a suspicion that he could use Sif to help him with that, not that she’d agree to help him but that was what scheming was for. He gave his attention to Anna, “Sounds like a dangerous personality. A pity Sif isn’t aware of this; she’d likely have chased Amora well away before she made even a step toward Thor if she’d known.” He heard the music finally begin and Odin and Frigga step onto the floor to start the dancing. A folk dance fortunately, “Would you like to take a turn on the floor?”

“I would be delighted to.” Anna blushed prettily and rose, sending a triumphant look at the other maidens in attendance. She was the one having Loki’s company and she was the only one whom he had ever asked to dance.

Much like Thor was oblivious to his tendency to treat Loki like a pet, Loki was utterly oblivious to his appeal to the maidens around. He simply wasn't interested in forming a romantic connection with anyone at present so he didn’t see all the hungry looks tossed his way.

Frigga certainly did and she knew her son did as well and she shook her head at Thor’s thunderous expression, “Tis a pity that tap from Mjolnir didn’t knock sense into our son.”

“I am beginning to wonder what will.” Odin led his wife and queen through the turns of the dance as it began.

Thor was furious and he didn’t know why. All he knew was that he wanted to stalk over and rip fish lips away from his Loki. “Do you wish to dance?” He turned to ask Amora. If he was on the dance floor then maybe he could stop the twit from pawing at Loki.

“I’d love to,” she beamed at him. Unlike Sif she recognized the Prince’s connection to Loki for what it was and she would have no problem sharing his attention. None at all. Her only concern was that Loki saw too deeply but Thor was stubborn enough to ignore caution even from his pet.

Sif sipped at her mead and ground her teeth as she watched the little magic using interloper charm Thor as they danced. She looked over at Fandral, who was deep into his cups already and glaring at Loki. “We clearly have the same problem my brother.”

“Indeed it does.” Fandral only slurred a bit. “It appears both our interests prefer green eyed, magical sneakers.” He watched Anna smile at Loki and the way her hair shown in the light of the lanterns and fires. Fandral really liked Anna and fool as he was he’d believed she liked him back. “What can we do about it though?”

“I don’t know what _I_ can do but I hear Anna might like being fought for. And not from any piddling second hand gossip mill, her own sister said as much.” Sif sipped again. “As we know the foundling has no real interest in her, he’ll quickly back down.”

“ _Normally_ that might be the case. Loki hates us though and he might fight for her just to vex me.” Fandral privately thought that Loki had his reasons to hate them. He downed the last of the mead in his tankard. “But since I lack another plan, I might just go all out.” He rose on unsteady legs and began to make his way toward the dancing couples. No time like the present to win his maiden back. “You should try to wear a dress sometime.” He called over his shoulder to Sif. “That way Thor might, just might actually remember that you are in fact a girl.”

Loki saw Fandral approaching, and saw clearly that he was drunk, and rather thought that one of two things was about to happen. One Fandral was going to simply be boorish and cut in. Or two, and much more likely, Fandral was spoiling for a fight. Loki easily guided Anna to the edge of the dance floor just as Fandral reached them. Loki stepped back from Anna so she wouldn’t be in the middle of anything Fandral was about to do, and then felt pain bloom in his mouth, his head snapping back as the bloody idiot cocked back and hit him full in the face.

“Fandral!” Thor let go of Amora as if she were a hot potato and started to shoulder his way through the people on the floor, wanting to get to Loki and Fandral. “What are you doing?”

Fandral was beginning to wonder the same thing as Anna let out a screech and jumped up on his back, pulling his hair and biting his ear until it bled. “You brute! You’ve ruined everything!”

Loki shook his head to clear it and dragged his thumb over the split in his lip as the commotion seemed to spark another fight elsewhere and it bloomed out from there. He checked to make sure Odin had gotten Frigga out of the fray before reaching out to pluck Anna off Fandral as the poor sot was doing his best to avoid her blows while also keeping her from falling. He set the girl down and nudged her in the direction of Sif, “Would you please see to it that Sif fetches Amora from the floor as Thor has abandoned her?” He was three quarters sure that Anna would let Amora’s past slip in the process.

“If you wish that I do so.” Anna nodded, not really caring one bit if Amora should happen to be trampled. She wanted to stay in Loki’s good graces though. “Your poor face.” She reached up to cup his cheek and before he had time to react, she surged forward and pressed her lips against his. “You are so brave.” She turned and hurried toward Sif, ready to spew poison over Fandral and Amora and all who she deemed guilty of ruining her perfect evening.

Loki cursed, because with his split lip, that kiss had hurt, a lot, and now he was dodging another punch from Fandral. He sighed and caught first one wrist, then the other of the idiot’s, “You need to sober up you fool.” He might be slight in appearance, might prefer to run over fighting, but he was _strong_ and easily managed to keep Fandral restrained even while pushing the idiot toward a corner away from the fighting. “Though I imagine you’ll be praised for weeks for capping the evening off.”

Thor came thundering close, reaching for Fandral and throwing his friend over his shoulder. “I am disappointed in you Loki; you knew full well what this would do to Fandral. Fish lips has a hold of his heart.” Thor was angry, so angry that Loki had actually kissed the bint. He carried Fandral out, dodging brawling warriors and dumped his friend in a full rainwater barrel. “And you...what were you thinking?”

Fandral hissed and sputtered. “I wasn’t?”

“Too right,” Thor sighed, the knot in his stomach curled tight.

Back inside Loki was frozen in place, the words Thor had tossed at him cutting him to the quick and you could see it plain and clear on his face before he closed himself down. He stalked slowly through the brawl to a barrel of mead, wetting a cloth with it and using that to clean the cut on his lip as he watched Sif stride purposefully toward Amora. He watched the two girls start to bicker and then Sif, in a marvelous mimic of Fandral, punched Amora in the face, breaking her nose. He had to snort as Brunnhilde applauded Sif for it, wincing as the motion pulled at his lip.

Amora gave an unholy shriek and, clearly not trained to fight, grabbed Sif’s hair and yanked, pulling out a healthy clump and getting a boot in the gut in response.

Sif missed her own pretty blond hair but she was proud of her black hair as well, she kept it in good condition and length and had learned how to turn it into a weapon at times and the loss of her golden hair made an assault on her hair now a very foolish move, and she responded in kind. She growled and grabbed Amora’s hair but she didn’t yank, didn’t pull any out, she took her eating dagger and in one smooth, skillful motion, cut the pale blond tresses off leaving only a short, shaggy cap behind, then she tossed the sheared locks over her shoulder, after giving Amora a kick in the bottom to send her stumbling a few paces away.

Odin nearly applauded Sif’s fighting skills himself and though it was inappropriate amusement tugged at his lips. He stepped closer to his wife. “Were we ever that young dearest? And will we have to do something about what is going on with the young ones?” He recognized passion, jealousy and beneath it all, honest caring among all the emotions soaring all over the place.

Frigga smiled and pat his hand, watching the scene with the eye of someone who’d seen it all a thousand times before, “We were just as young, or do you not remember your own attempts at charming the lasses? And no, the children will work it out on their own; they’ll need to so they can learn.” She kissed her husband’s cheek.

Anna slipped close to Loki once again, pressing herself against his side. “How are you feeling?” She cooed sympathetically at him.

“Irritated. I had planned on disappearing before the usual brawl started,” in addition he was furious with Thor. Absolutely furious. And hurt that Thor would for even one instant think he’d go so far as to kiss someone simply to hurt another. His eyes widened when he saw Sif’s move with Amora’s hair, “Did you not say that it was an insult to her hair that caused the incident that got Amora exiled from the Grove?”

“It was yes...oooh you don’t think she will go after Sif do you?” Anna looked rather excited by that prospect.

Thor came back in, a dripping wet Fandral at his side. He quickly dropped his jaw when he saw the mayhem and the pale blonde locks strewn across the floor. Again he hurried across the floor to get to the battling girls. What in the name of all the Aesir was going on?”

Loki cursed softly, “I think she would, and I think I need to intercede before Sif is injured. Thor would be grieved if she was hurt.” He managed to detach himself from Anna and strode quickly toward where Sif and Amora were.

Amora’s eyes were wide, her hand going to her hair, feeling the bristling of the cut. She saw Sif smirking and tossing her hair away as if it was trash and she saw red. With an infuriated scream she threw a cutting spell at the black haired bitch.

Sif’s eyes went wide and she gasped, barely jumping out of the way of the spell in time to avoid truly serious damage but several cuts bloomed on her leg and arm. In mid leap another spell hit her, a concussive force that threw her back several feet. She cried out in pain as she landed on a broken chair, the sharp leg piercing through her leg. She looked up in fear, aware that Frigga and Odin both were rushing through the sudden stillness of the crowd to stop Amora, as the tiny blond gathered angry red flames around her hand then punched them toward her. One moment, all she saw was an inferno she couldn’t avoid racing toward her, and the next there was a slim back standing between her and it.

Loki used a flicker-step technique he’d read about but only barely practiced, one that he’d be paying for later since it was sloppy execution from lack of practice, to get in-between Sif and Amora as soon as Amora had unleashed the fire spell. With one sweep of his arm and a burst of his own magic he extinguished the flames and pinned Amora with a cold glare when she began to cast again. “I would advise against that.”

Amora bared her teeth at him and his advice went unheeded but then she squeaked as golden shackles suddenly appeared around her hands, drawing them together and down so she was kneeling and pulling at them, trying to get away, as a golden magic hovered around Loki’s hand, holding her in place.

Thor came to halt next to Sif, falling to his knees next to her, horrified at the blood and the pain on his friend’s face. His eyes flickered over to Loki as well, Loki who was still standing tall and holding Amora in place until both his parents could get over. He wanted to stand next to his Loki as well but right now Sif needed him more. “She needs to get to the healers, is it safe to move her?” He asked both his mother and Loki, both of them much better at magic than he could ever be.

Loki answered as Frigga took up the shackle spell, leaving him free to turn and crouch in front of Sif, looking at her impaled leg, “Not just yet. Hold her leg still,” he pulled out a hidden dagger and used magic to make the blade sharper, slicing through the chair below her leg so cleanly there were no splinters. He then placed his hands, glowing with gentle green energy on the wound around the wood, silencing her protest with a sharp irritable, “Quiet! Or would you like to bleed out? Hogun,” the quiet man shifted to attention at Loki’s voice calling on him, “Pull the wood out, slowly so she doesn’t gush blood before I can stop it.”

Sif bit her bottom lip hard as Hogun did as he was told and watched as the wood was removed bit by bit, Loki healing her as it went. It hurt, oh it hurt so much, but she was a warrior in training and would not cry.

“It’s okay Sif, Loki knows what he’s doing and you are being so brave.” Thor brushed Sif’s hair out of her forehead with one hand and held her hand with the other. Thor was a bit worried about the amount of magic that Loki was using but there wasn’t anything he could do about it right now. “You’re being so good.”

Odin had his magical guards help Frigga take Amora away.

Loki finished healing the worst of the leg injury as Hogun finished pulling the leg out, “Don’t just throw it aside,” he said when Hogun made to do just that, “Should Amora wiggle out and get her hands on Sif’s blood she could use it to cast a curse.” He anchored the healing spell to Sif’s leg, “Thor, carry her to the healers but hurry. My work is only a temporary measure.”

“Aye,” Thor lifted her gently into her arms and hurried off with Sif, wanting to get her to the healers as quickly as he could. He was feeling sick that his friend was hurt, that someone that he had invited into their group had done something like this.

Fandral eyed Loki, still dripping water where he stood. “I am sorry for punching you...should you not head to the healers too?” Loki was looking even paler than he usually was and Thor would lose it if something happened to Loki.

Loki used a very light bit of magic to burn away the spots of blood Sif had left on the floor before standing. He was nowhere near magically depleted but better for them all to think he was than the alternative, which was the torn abdominal muscle from the flicker-step he’d used. Used correctly it caused no damage at all but he hadn’t managed to learn it completely yet and so had made a mistake. He shook his head, “I’m not hurt. I would suggest, however, that you apologize to Anna and let her know the reason you lost your senses for a moment. Whether she chooses to give you a chance or not, she’s more likely to at least forgive you. And the next maid you like, for the love of Yggdrasill, simply _tell_ her. Tripping over your tongue and being sneaky does nothing but confuse everything.” He turned and headed away, going to his chambers for a bath and to heal himself.

Fandral watched Loki leave, noticing that Odin was doing the same. He would not be the least bit surprised if Frigga were to pay Loki a visit as soon as the queen was finished with Amora. He took a deep breath and went to grovel in front of Anna.

After Thor had delivered Sif to the healers he did not go back to the great hall, instead he snuck into the armory and went to sit down in front of Mjolnir. He wrapped his arms around his knees and leaned against the wall. “All I want to do is protect my people; instead I ended up hurting Sif.” Thor was aware he was talking to a hammer but right now that made more sense than anything had this evening.

The hammer made a gentle thrum, almost as if asking what Thor had learned from the experience.

Thor quirked his lips still feeling bad but he couldn’t help himself. “You as well huh? What have I learned?” He paused to think about the answer. “Think; take my time without rushing in. At least try to take advice when it is offered. Don’t let my anger cloud my head of what I know is right and basically...stop being a cabbagehead.”

The thrum now was almost a laugh as the hammer lifted from her pedestal and floated over to settle into Thor’s hand. The boy needed some guidance and a lesson so she’d give the first where she could and then the second if he didn’t learn.

He closed his hand around her, feeling her magic and power thrum through his entire body. “Thank you for the confidence, I know I am not worthy yet but I hope to be one day. Until then I truly hope you can help me protect all that I care about.” Thor needed to go find Loki; he had spoken without thinking and said some unforgivable things. Thor knew that Loki was his own person, he knew that but he hurt inside when Loki was away from him. He didn’t know how to handle it so he blew up and got angry instead.

Mjolnir gave his fingers a little jolt as if telling him to get moving already.

 Loki stepped into the wash basin and lowered himself slowly, hissing as it pulled at his self-inflicted injury, then he leaned back, breathed in, and began weaving magic, using the water to better channel it, to heal the torn muscle. The last thing he wanted was Frigga finding out he’d hurt himself, because then Thor would find out and he was not at all interested in so much as _hearing_ the damned cabbagehead right now.

 Thor _did_ knock, he really did but since there was no reply he opened the door and stepped inside, following the small jolts Mjolnir made. It was like she led his way and right now he trusted her more than himself so he followed. “Loki? I came to apologize, I was every bit the cabbagehead you claim me to be and I am sorry.” There was a soft sound of splashing water and Thor followed it. His eyes narrowing dangerously the moment he saw Loki, he knew him well enough to know when something was wrong. “You are hurt.”

Loki’s eyes snapped open and frosted over with cold anger, “Does it ever occur to you that, when you knock and speak and receive no answer, those you are addressing are either in no mood or in no condition, such as bathing or sleeping, to address you? I am _fine_.” His tone was glacial and the water around the edges of the basin was turning to ice. He turned his head away and closed his eyes to concentrate on repairing his muscle once again.

A sharp zap sparked across Thor’s fingers before Mjolnir throbbed in his hand, mimicking the feel of an open wound, trying to tell Thor to look past the anger to the emotional hurt that caused it.

"Please Loki," Thor decided to take Mjolnir's advice, leave all pride and posturing behind and speak just from his heart. "I am sorry, I am so sorry. As always I let my tongue run away with me before my brain could catch up. I know you would never hurt anyone the way I accused you of. As much as I wish I could take the words back I cannot. I can simply say that I did not mean them, you are so precious to me and I am so sorry I have caused you pain. I let Amora in, it is my fault Sif is lying in the healing chambers now and it is my fault you are hurt...because you are." Thor took a deep breath. "When you stepped between Amora and the flames...I swear my heart stopped, i do not think I have ever been that frightened in my life."

Loki’s eyes shot open again in irritation but now there was heat instead of the ice, “I took out a fully grown bilgesnipe with my magic before I was old enough to have my own weapon. A little slip of a girl with a bad temper is _hardly_ enough to cause me any damage with a spell.” He scooted down, dunking his head, double-checking his work on himself by submerging then sitting back up. Not a twinge. “Yes, you didn’t think before you spoke and I don’t understand why you were so bedamned irritated to say such a thing. My injury had nothing to do with you, same as Sif’s. Sif is injured because she attacked the pride of an unstable chit with magic. Amora’s instability was not common knowledge so you could hardly be blamed for not knowing she could be dangerous you cabbagehead.” He turned his head so that he was looking at Thor, who was apparently channeling a kicked pup, “I myself didn’t know she’d been exiled from the Grove for injuring a fellow student until Fandral’s obsession mentioned it. Don’t claim the blame for what isn’t truly your fault, people will start coming out of the woodwork trying to take advantage of you and then I’d have to curse them all back into the woodwork and I really would rather not have the irritation.”

"I am still sorry. I know you are capable and wondrous when it comes to magic but I can still be scared when you stand right in its path." Thor was relieved because if Loki was fire instead of ice in his anger then he would be forgiven. Mjolnir thrummed in his hand again. "Where are you hurt...Really hurt, and don't fib, Mjolnir will know the truth.

“I am not hurt,” which he wasn’t, any longer. He cast a long gaze at the hammer before snorting and using a bit of magic to warm the bath water up again, leaning back against the basin wall with lazily slit eyes, ignoring another series of knocks. “So if you wouldn’t mind letting me ba-” he jerked upright again as the door was opened and Odin came stomping in, “By the Branches of the World Tree does no one hold manners sacred anymore!” He was a hair away from literally tossing both Thor and Odin out using magic and dealing with the consequences later, “I am bathing! Go away!”

“We will be out of your bathwater soon enough.” Odin was a king and kings did not snort but it was a close thing. “It is relieving to know you are still as mouthy as always, it shows you are alright. My wife worries, she would have come herself but she is busy binding Amora’s powers.” It was only a temporary binding spell, magic was a part of Amora and there was no way of locking it away forever at present but for now it was barred from her use. Odin glanced at his sad puppy of a son and felt a thrill go through him when he noticed the hammer in Thor’s hand. Maybe there was hope for Thor yet.

“I. Am. Fine. As a matter of fact I am fit to punch a Thor and Odin shaped hole through the wall if I continue to be gawked at as if I’m missing a limb. Go, shoo,” he didn’t care that he was addressing the Allfather thusly, if the Allfather was rude enough to barge into his chambers without invitation he invited the rudeness of an irritable Loki in return no matter what golden crown sat atop his head, “Teach Thor about Mjolnir and leave me to my peace.”

“Aye, we will be going.” Odin pulled Thor up from the floor where he had been kneeling next to Loki’s bath. “Here, Frigga sent it.” He pulled out a small crystal vial filled with a golden liquid. “She says to rub it on your abdomen before bedtime for a week, says magic cannot heal a torn muscle all on its own.”

“What! Torn muscle?” Thor got louder and louder with every word.

“Enjoy your bath.” Odin dragged his son with him out of Loki’s chambers and closed the doors behind him.

As soon as the door was shut Loki cast a spell on it that would result in a nasty surprise for the next idiot trying to open it before he was well and truly ready to deal with people. Then, thinking of Thor’s tenacity, he cast the same spell on all the windows before sinking back into the water and glaring at the vial like it was the source of all evil. Of course he didn’t blame Frigga for the utter, frustrating insanity Thor would become now, she had tact and understanding of just how much Thor, in all his ‘mine’ mentality made Loki want to set fire to something. Odin on the other hand...oh he would get even.

He sent the vial to his bedside with a flick of his hand and stared up at the ceiling. He just couldn’t stay angry at the damned idiot that was Thor could he? Not even when he hurt him badly enough that Loki half thought his heart had bled. The sharp, ripping pain in his chest had made him aware of what had likely been building all his life.

He slipped down in the water so that his face was half submerged and he was studying the pattern etched into the tub without seeing it. His lack of interest in other people for a romantic connection made perfect sense now and though he had no doubt Frigga would _know_ as soon as she caught sight of him, he knew her concern would certainly not be eased by the knowledge. He was in love with Thor, Stars help him. This could only be a disaster.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fed up with being treated like a pet Loki goes to Midgard to gain a bit of peace from his overprotective cabbagehead. Thor takes it very badly and is tossed down to Earth to learn a little humility, control, and respect for others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here is where things may start becoming ridiculous for some of you but really, Ash and I had too much fun with this and couldn't help ourselves. Also it hasn't been beta'd so I apologize for any remaining typos.
> 
> WARNING: Violence against friends.

Loki stalked down the Bifrost, having finally lost the blond barnacle that obliviously adhered to his side no matter what. Years of it since the Amora incident. _Years_ of it. He was very nearly ready to toss Thor off the rainbow bridge...no kicking him off it would be far more satisfying. He shook his head and reached the dais where Heimdall stood guard over the bridge. “Heimdall,” he inclined his head to the warrior respectfully. He liked the man, and respected him in a way he did few aside from Frigga and Tyr and here, where the All-seeing kept lonely watch, was one of the few places Loki ever could find peace for his private studies as Thor and the others were unnerved by Heimdall. Loki didn’t assume he was welcome however, and always asked, as he did now with a gesture at the steps, “May I sit?”

 

“Aye, go ahead.” Heimdall gave Loki a small nod, his eerie eyes busy keeping watch over all the worlds and pathways out there. He never minded when Loki came to visit, they never spoke except for a few words but Loki was restful company and never bothered him with inane questions as some other of the young ones were want to do. Heimdall could sense irritation drift off Loki in waves and guessed that the prince had tried to wrap Loki in cotton and silk again to keep him from harm.

 

Loki breathed in relief and settled with the book he’d brought, one written by a Jotun mage. He’d made significant leaps in his training with the Casket of Ancient Winters, had even managed to draw a little of the magic from it to create a rosebush that would never wither and always had blooms on it. The blooms disturbed most though Frigga, and curse it Thor, both found them beautiful. They looked like ice, as if touching them would freeze your hands and cut them, but the edges of the petals were soft and the petals themselves were no different in temperature than any other rosebush. He still didn’t risk being in the room with the casket by himself yet however. Too long and he still gained a headache from it. So he’d begun studying Jotun writings to see if he could further himself in handling the casket.

 

He spent hours reading the tome, aware that Thor would likely cling upon his return, despite the idiot having his own things to do with the coronation approaching. The Odinsleep was creeping up on the Allfather and Thor was slotted to take the throne in Odin’s absence. A foolish thing in Loki’s opinion. At present Balder would be the better choice as Thor was still horribly childish but it was Odin’s decision and Loki knew it was a test for Thor.

 

Unfamiliar voices caught his hearing and he looked up and around before realizing they were coming from...Heimdall’s sword. He saw the guardian staring fixedly at his sword and listened to what he could hear.

 

“Jane...but...no connection...storms...correlation...Einstein-Rosen Bridge.”

 

“... _know_...connected...science...proof...Eric.”

 

“....soaked! Get...samples...go...dry...ogle...puch them.”

 

Loki’s brows lifted at the last voice who didn’t sound nearly as fascinated as the other two.

 

Heimdal noticed Loki’s fascination. “Midgard, a world full of people that could compete with our princeling’s stubborness on his worst day.” Heimdal always kept a close eye on Midgard, even though the Allfather did not travel there anymore it was still Odin’s favorite world, he cherished and cared for the Midgardians.

 

“The world Odin saved from Jotun rule.” Loki shifted and listened closer, using magic to enhance his hearing.

 

“Darcy I know you hate being wet and cold but this is important to our work. We’re so close to a breakthrough, and who knows what’s on the other end of the universe?”

 

A woman’s voice, excited, almost too excited. It reminded Loki of Thor when he was about to get into trouble.

 

“Now Jane, even if you’re right and you get it to work, as you say who know what is out there? It could be dangerous.”

 

A man’s voice, older, cautious, and disbelieving. It set Loki’s teeth on edge even though he sounded kind.

 

“I do hate being cold, wet is debatable. Pull the stick out Eric will you, Janey knows what she’s doing. I just don’t want to deal with the hicks in this town thinking that just because my shirt is plastered to me it’s open season on my boobs. My knuckles are still scraped from the last one.”

 

Loki’s brows lifted and his lips twitched at that voice. Another woman, with sarcasm and mischief undertoning her words. He liked her already.

 

“There is always open season on your boobs, they are just out there, hard to miss.” The other woman spoke again while giving the other two orders.

 

“Always reaching for the stars, the Midgardians. Always curious. Much like someone else I know.” Heimdal did have a sense of humor, most people just didn’t take the time to find out. Thought he was creepy and a loner. They didn’t realize that he was always surrounded by voices and images, never alone.

 

Loki’s response was a grin and the book was forgotten as he listened to the Midgardians, following along with their conversation. There were, of course, things he didn’t understand but most he could piece together. It was _fascinating_. “It sounds as though they may succeed, if not this group then others who learn from them.” He was aware of the difference in lifespans between those in Asgard and those on Midgard in an abstract sort of way but no matter what the species or world, the next generation learned from the previous. Before Heimdall could make any response, Loki heard Thor calling and cursed at the sound of heavy boots on the Bifrost. “One day I’m going to turn him into a frog.”

 

“Just make sure not to do it on my bridge.” Was Heimdal’s dry response just as Thor made it over.

 

“Loki, there you are. I have searched all over for you.” Thor nodded at Heimdal but all his attention was focused on Loki. “Come, we are planning to go after some sort of tribute that we can offer to Father at the coronation. Help us please.” Despite the years that had passed, Thor was much like the boy who had agreed to go after the bilgesnipes.

 

“Has it occured to you that Odin might be more impressed with a tribute gained through diplomacy?” Loki stood up however, thanking Heimdall for his company, and walked toward Thor. He knew that if he didn’t, the damned man would grab him and start pulling him along like a recalcitrant dog. Years of Thor being a thorn in his side and still Loki hadn’t managed to fall out of love with him because in between the cabbageheaded moments Thor would show a sensitivity and gentleness that just sucked him right back in before he went back to being an ass.

 

“Aye, Father might be impressed with diplomacy but where is the fun in that.” Thor grinned and loped an arm around Loki’s neck, pulling the other close for a sort of embrace before releasing him. “Volstagg is already complaining because it has been longer than a season since he was allowed to kill anything more dangerous than a bear.”

 

“Oh yes, Norns forbid Volstagg has to go longer than a season without sitting on a dragon’s head, crushing the poor creature.” He ignored the way his heart leapt at the touch, the unruly organ had been doing that for far too long in his opinion. “And diplomatic negotiations _are_ fun. You are simply too cabbageheaded to see it.”

 

“Diplomatic negotiations are a bunch of clever people sitting around being nice to each other, all the while doing their best to con each other in the greatest way. That is what I have you for.” Thor’s smile gentled as he looked over at Loki again. “I am useless in those situations, you on the other hand, you shine.”

 

And there it was. The reason he still tolerated the cabbagehead and why he couldn’t fall out of love. Damn him. “You need to learn how to be useful in said situations. I won’t always be around to pull your irons out of the fire.”

 

“What do you mean?” Blond brows furrowed. “Of course you will always be with me, just as I will be with you.” Thor couldn’t even imagine a future without Loki right there, it was an impossibility. “You will rule right next to me, Mother and Father has trained us both for that very task.”

 

“Thor I am Jotun, moreover I am Jotun royalty despite my small size, much as it irritates me, use your brain and the diplomatic training I know you’ve received to come to the correct conclusion. Trained for a throne, yes. _Not_ trained for Asgard’s nor to be an aide to Asgard’s king.”

 

Thor grit his teeth and his heart thumped painfully in his chest. He had a hard time controlling the sparks and thunder that wanted to escape him at the thought of losing Loki. He knew that Loki was Jotun, he’d always known that but he could not accept that it would take Loki away from him. “You wish to take the throne of those who abandoned you and left you for dead? You wish to return to Jotunheim when all those who lo... care for you are _here_?” It didn’t make sense, it felt as if Thor had fallen off the rainbow bridge and now he was desperately grappling to regain his footing.

 

Loki gave him an arch look, “I never once said anything about my wishes. Consider Thor, at present Laufey,” the name of his sire came off his tongue like a foul taste, “would like little more than to raze Asgard to the ground and stirs his people to the same end. Under his rule they are enemies but under the rule of another they could be allies. Would it not be better for the Aesir and Jotun both who are children at present to _not_ loathe each other? Innocents get caught up in wars Thor and so long as the Casket of Ancient Winters is here in Asgard the innocent in Jotunheim suffer, babes are born who starve. It is a long time off but once I master the casket I can do good for the innocent who shouldn’t suffer for the sins of their forebears.”

 

Thor stayed silent. He wanted to rant and rave and forbid Loki to even consider leaving him. An alliance that had the price of Loki was not worth it. That was what he wanted to say but he couldn’t. Thor knew that Loki was right, he hated it with every fibre of his being but he knew it was the right thing. “Well that is a way down the road still. For now you are still mine. Now let us plan.”

 

Loki twitched at the ‘mine’ though not enough to draw Thor’s notice. He really was coming to hate that word, “Very well. I’ll make the plan but the five of you can go indulge in stupidity without me. I have my own plans for a tribute.” He was not going hunting for anything. He went on the annual wild hunt that Odin led and killed what he wished for supplies and that was all. He didn’t hunt creatures for sport.

 

“One day I shall entice you into a wild ride just for sports.” Thor beamed at him though there were still thorns in his heart after Loki’s words. He did not want to think about what it might mean just yet though. “Do not get upset if something happens when the five us indulge in our stupidity, you are leaving us helpless without our brain.”

 

“Sif is intelligent enough to carry the five of you through it with minimal injury, and mean enough to kick you or one of the others in the stones for deviating from orders,” after Amora one thing that had changed had been his relationship with Sif. They neither one _liked_ the other but they both respected each other and neither of them hated the other either.

 

“Indeed I am,” Sif appeared on Thor’s other side, carrying a jug of apple nectar, “I see you found him. Have you told him of Volstagg’s suggestion.” Humor was on her face as she said that.

 

“Nay I have not told Loki about Volstagg’s suggestion. As it is I am quite fond of my limbs where they are. Why do you not enlighten Loki Sif? Since you brought it up.” Thor loved Sif but lately he had begun to feel uncomfortable around her. He _did_ actually take notice of the people around him and he was aware of her feelings for him. He saw how she grew stiff and distant every time he took a bedmate for a tumble in the furs. It hurt him but he couldn’t love her the way she wished him to.

 

Sif shot Loki a smirk, “Volstagg has suggested that we revisit a childhood adventure as we ‘are certain to meet with success this time’ despite Hogun’s protests about it being nesting.”

 

“What?” It was a hiss before Loki slipped out of Thor’s hold and stalked right for the rotund warrior arguing with Hogun several paces ahead.

 

Sif watched him go and slid a look over to Thor. She was still enamored of him but she was no fool, she saw where Thor’s heart lay even though he tossed the furs with others, but she didn’t think Thor knew where his own heart lay. Nor did he see Loki’s. “You’re a fool I’m afraid.”

 

“So I am being told daily by you, my Loki and my Mother.” Thor’s tone was dry. “Why am I a fool at this particular moment in time then?” He watched Volstagg doing his best to stand up to Loki but he was already cowering like a kicked dog in front of the livid magic wielder.

 

She shook her head and gave him a pitying look, “Because you’re blind to what is right under your nose,” she slapped him on the back then loped ahead to pass Fandral the jug of nectar.

 

“Ah thank you my lady.” Fandral smiled and sipped the apple nectar, watching the argument taking place with amusement. “You are a wicked vixen my lady, not only have you left Thor looking confused and constipated but you told Loki of the suggestion that had already been downvoted by us just see Volstagg squirm.”

 

She dropped down to sit next to him, her eyes gleaming in amusement, “I did. I learned my lesson as a child, Volstagg needed to be reminded of his clearly.” She sobered, “I am not his friend but even I hurt for Loki at times.” Her voice was soft, quiet. She understood unrequited love but in Loki she saw a love for Thor that was brighter and fiercer than a hundred suns. Her flame by comparison was naught but a candle.

 

“Aye, it is frightening how blind our fearless leader can be. Especially since anyone with eyes can see that he feels the same, always has.” Fandral took another sip of nectar before handing the jug back to Sif. “Sooner or later it is going to come to a point, I hope we will not be the ones trying to pick up the pieces from the outfall of it.”

 

She nodded, “Aye. It will not be pleasant.” She watched Loki finish scolding Volstagg and make his way to the blanket they were a lounging around.

 

“Might I suggest, if you all really must risk you necks-”

 

Sif grinned, “We must.”

 

He gave her an irritated look before continuing, “Bring Odin a dragon’s egg.” It wasn’t something attempted often but a single egg claimed from a large clutch was prized, and the parents, much like bees, would not risk the entirety of the clutch to go after the thieves of a single egg for very far.

 

“Interesting suggestion.” Fandral agreed, pulling on his goatee slightly. “Though, considering Volstagg’s history with dragons he will likely just sit on them and we will be left with nothing but a very large batch of scrambled eggs to present to the Allfather.”

 

“Funny.” Volstagg was still red in the face from embarrassment from Loki’s scolding.

 

“It was somewhat amusing yes. And I approve of this plan.” Thor had shaken off his confusion and was doing his best to just enjoy the day.

 

Loki smirked, “Further, to prevent the scrambled eggs, Volstagg will be the _bait_ while Sif fetches and carries the egg.”

 

“Is that a remark upon my gender?” She gave him an arch look.

 

“Am I that foolish?” He shot back, “You’ve the lightest touch, move faster, and can fit into smaller spaces for shielding.” He created a map in the air and started going over a main plan and a back-up for fetching the egg.

 

\------------------------------------------

 

Loki paced around outside the casket chamber waiting for Odin. The past several days had sent thoughts whirling through his head of Thor, the coronation, the fact that he felt more and more stifled here as Thor kept finding his hiding spaces, and the conversation he’d overheard from Midgard. He wanted to speak with Odin before he went ahead with what he’d decided however, as well as give the Allfather his tribute as he planned to not be here for the coronation.

 

“Loki, I apologize for having kept you waiting.” Odin walked up and clasped a strong hand on Loki’s shoulder. He was tired, more than ready for Odinsleep but very much worried that Thor was not ready.

 

“Tis fine.” He saw the weariness in Odin’s face, as well as the worry, and regretted that he was about to add more worry to it. “I am afraid I’m likely to make you very unhappy with what I wish to discuss.”

 

“I find it very unlikely for you to make me unhappy Loki.” Odin pat Loki’s shoulder and opened the door to the casket chamber. “Tell me what is troubling you.”

 

Loki stepped inside the chamber, the casket already reaching out to him with its siren song but he honestly did not have the patience for it today so he slapped out with his own magic like the cooks used to smack Thor’s hand when he reached for the baking chocolate. Just like with Thor it made the casket recoil and...pout.

 

He sat on the steps leading up to the casket’s pillar, fingers worrying the wrapping of the package he’d be giving Odin, “I want to go to Midgard. Before the coronation. I can’t _breathe_ with Thor constantly on my heels. I can’t study or find any peace because he won’t leave me alone for even an hour unless I’m sleeping or here,” his voice darkened, “and I’m starting to have my doubts about that too.” He swept his fingers through his hair, smoothing back what didn’t need to be smoothed back.

 

Odin nodded and sat down next to his ward. “I have seen this coming for some time. I am honestly astonished that you have put up with my son for as long as you have.” Odin knew it would be a mess but he couldn’t keep Loki here just to be more comfortable himself. “No bird can fly free without trying his wings.”

 

Loki breathed out, tension fleeing, “It might do Thor good as well. Maybe he’ll actually grow up a little if he doesn’t have me to rely on for all the things he thinks are boring.” He sighed, “I probably should have gotten sick of him earlier but he gives me that blasted adoring look and praises something I do and it makes it hard to get sick of him. Even when he’s _still_ a cabbagehead.”

 

“My son’s heart has always been in the right place, big and loving. It is his head I am concerned about.” Odin smiled at the young man next to him. “He loves too much and holds on too tight. Go, breathe easy and be free. Keep yourself safe and do not stay away for too long. You are a son of my heart as much as Thor is and you will be missed.”

 

“I’ll keep watch on myself and return soon enough,” Loki returned the smile and passed the package wrapped in the shimmering gold fabric to Odin, “As I won’t be here, your tribute.”

 

“I do not actually clamor for a tribute simply for going to sleep. I do thank you though.” Odin unwrapped the package and breathed in at the sight of the long cloak woven from shimmering unicorn hair. “I am most unworthy of a gift like this.” He turned and wrapped Loki in a rare embrace. “You are loved Loki, if you should need anything, anything at all. Call for Heimdall and we will be there in a blink.”

 

Loki returned the hug, “Aye, I know. And you are worthy of the cloak, you’re a very good king as well as a good man. Besides the unicorns are downright agreeable if you cater to their vanity enough.” He pulled back with a grin. He’d have to leave Frigga a letter as opposed to telling her because he knew Thor might eavesdrop but as she was Frigga, he rather thought she’d know as soon as she saw him. He’d leave a letter to be delivered to Thor after he’d gone.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

Loki had all he needed with him, the silent farewell to Frigga had gone much as he’d expected and she’d waylaid Thor for him to get enough time to actually leave. He nodded to Heimdall in greeting, “What think you? Will this do anything to make the cabbagehead mature?”

 

“I see many things Lord Loki but that knowledge is hidden to me.” Heimdall’s lips quirked. “I believe we will hear him though when he finds you gone. You might even hear him yourself, all the way to Midgard.” Heimdall locked his allseeing eyes on Loki. “Are you ready?”

 

Loki chuckled, “Aye. The sooner the better before Thor manages to extract himself from his mother’s hold.” He stepped up to the exit point and let Heimdall open the bifrost, sucking him from Asgard to a Midgardian desert.

 

“Safe journey Lord Loki.” Heimdall spoke lowly to himself. He had a feeling Loki could use the well wishes.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Fandral looked at the mess of the room, the overturned tables and the scorch marks on the walls and floor. “So, he’s taking the news rather well don’t you think?” He turned to look at his companions, well the conscious ones anyway. Volstagg was out cold after attempting to hold Thor back from his rage attack.

 

Hogun was holding a cold steak to his swelling eye, “Oh marvelously.”

 

Sif was frowning and wiggling her jaw back into place. She hadn’t gone immediately to the healers because she didn’t want Thor to get into trouble but this...this was too much. Thor was still raging, still furious, and if he’d hurt them...she stood up and slurred a bit, “I’m getting Odin. Thish ish too musch.”

 

Fandral nodded and ducked just as a large clay bowl shattered where his head had been. “Please do and hurry.” He jumped out of the way of a lightning bolt as well. He was all about supporting Thor and being his friend but this was too much. Thor had crossed a line.

 

Sif hadn’t needed the urging for speed, she was already running, directly to the throne room. She didn’t care that she burst in while Odin was holding a very important court, or that her mother gave her an angry glare as all she saw was the blur of Sif’s tail of hair rushing by as she ran to kneel before Odin and Frigga.

 

Before Sif could say anything, Frigga rose and went to a crouch in front of the young woman, having already seen the dislocated jaw and bloody mouth, “Sif, child, what’s happened?” She lifted her hand, already casting a healing spell as she cupped the swelling cheek.

 

Sif kept her gaze down, for she was about to betray a friend but something had to be done, “Thor.” It was quiet, only audible to Frigga and Odin themselves.

 

“Enough is enough.” Odin rose and summoned Gungnir into his hand with a quick thought. Right now he was the Allfather in every sense of the word. “That boy will be taught a lesson and and so help me if he doesn’t learn it properly this time.” Power surged around Odin as he stalked out of the throne chamber to get Thor.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Frigga looked at Sif, hiding her face as well as she could and she just brought the young woman into her arms in a gentle hug, “You have nothing to be sorry for. You did the right thing and much as it pains me to admit, it is indeed time Thor was given a lesson.” She coaxed Sif into standing, “You’re very brave to do this, to stand for the right thing.” Frigga directed Sif to the side, where she would be in full view of Thor as his punishment was decided. The marks on her face that would be fully healed later plainly visible.

 

Hogun came in with Fandral, them both helping to support Volstagg, who was conscious but wobbling, and Frigga snapped her fingers a chair for Volstagg shooting over to Sif’s side. She directed the other two warriors to stand beside Sif then schooled her features into cold, impalacable disapproval as she sat just before Odin came in, dragging Thor.

 

With a shove, Thor was sent into a kneeling position in front of the two thrones and Odin walked up the platform to stand in front of his son. A snap of his fingers had Mjolnir soar out of Thor’s grasp into Odin’s hand. “You disappoint me. I can’t leave this land in the hands of someone who doesn’t know that people are not objects to use and abuse. Look at your friends, at what you have done to them.”

 

Thor watched Sif’s battered face and Hogun’s black eye with shame. He had never meant to hurt them. “Father I...”

 

“No! You have been given chance after chance and now it is enough. You will learn humility, compassion and maturity the hard way.”

 

Frigga felt her son’s eyes turn to her and let every ounce of her anger and disapproval over his actions be seen as the court began to whisper, “A prince who would strike his friends in a moment of anger becomes a king who can not be trusted. You are a man grown yet you have persisted in acting as a child. I stand with Odin Allfather in this decision.”

 

“I am sorry...” Thor tried to speak again only to have his father’s spear pointed at his face.

 

“Silence! You have left us with no choice but to strip you of your rank and your power. You are hereforth cast out of Asgard. Your return relies solely on you.” With a flick of the spear, Thor’s armor and grace was removed and Odin tossed him out through Rimfrost down to Midgard. It broke his heart to do it but Thor needed to learn. Odin held up Mjolnir, in front of the Aesir’s shocked expressions. “Whosoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall have the power of Thor.” He threw the hammer out after his son. He was so tired but it looked as if Odinsleep would have to wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long time between updates. I got...sidetracked. But here you go, a new chapter and the advent of Clint and Phil on the scene.

Under a cloaking spell and in the small town that currently housed the trio of mortals he’d first heard whilst sitting with Heimdall, Loki felt the boom and crackle of something from Asgard arriving. He whipped his head around to the source and he used a spell to lift into the air and fly toward the place where the power was concentrated. He landed a few feet from where he, himself had arrived and saw lights from what the mortals called a van cutting through the rainy night.

 

"Go, go, go!!!" Jane was so excited she was practically vibrating. "I told something was happening, all my research and atmospheric disturbances pointed toward this, drive Darcy!" She ignored Erik's mutterings about this sure as hell not being a sighting of southern aurora as she pointed the camera to the lightning and rumblings in the sky. Jane grabbed the wheel of the van when it looked like Darcy was hesitating, she couldn't miss this, it was what she had been waiting for all her life, proof that she wasn't insane.

 

Suddenly there was a bump and a thump and the briefest sighting of what could be a human being and Jane grew cold with the knowledge that they had hit something.

 

Loki himself had barely avoided the vehicle and he cocked a brow as two women and one man tumbled out of the van to see what, or more likely who, they’d hit. He began to get a very bad feeling about just who had arrived and slinked closer, still cloaked in his spell. He saw a form stagger up on his feet and hissed out in annoyance, he’d know that form anywhere. What was Thor doing here with his father so close to the Odinsleep? For the love of all the Aesir was he really so childish as to follow him here when Odin was relying on Thor?

 

Thor was disoriented, in pain and oh that was not a feeling he liked and heartsick. He staggered to his feet, shouting for Mjolnir, for his father and for Heimdall to open Bifrost and return him home. Thor heard the strange people around him talk about something called CPR and hospital but he couldn't pay them any mind, not when his whole world had tumbled down around him.

 

In the middle of him calling for father at the top of his lungs, Thor noticed that one of the maidens were aiming some sort of weapon at him and that was what pushed him over the edge. "You dare threaten me, Thor, with such a puny weapon?"

 

Loki pressed his lips together and got ready to intervene but before he could drop his concealment spell the woman holding the weapon on Thor fired, sending small barbs with thin lines attached to them into the broad chest. Loki’s eyebrows went straight up when electricity arched along the lines and into the barbs, zapping Thor...and the cabbagehead dropped like a stone.

 

Darcy gave Jane and Erik a defensive look when they turned vaguely disapproving eyes on her, “What? He was freaking me out!”

 

Loki had to laugh, recognizing the voice of the woman and enjoying her attitude. On top of that was the fact that Thor had been felled by _electricity_. It was a delicious irony. Yet it also told him that not all was well with Thor and that concerned him. So, when the three mortals spoke of getting Thor treatment and gradually managed to tug and pull the dead weight of him into the vehicle, he followed, his spell keeping him concealed from the others. Though the maid with the attitude who had felled Thor glanced in his direction more than once, making him suspect she felt something.

 

"Where did he come from?" Jane looked around seeing no footprints or any sign where the crazy man could have come from. Most of all she wanted to stay where she was and record the patterns in the sand before they disappeared but she was down voted when it came to taking crazy man to the hospital.

 

"Next time you Taser a man, make sure he is already in the car." Selvig griped at Darcy. The man weighed a ton, at least if felt like he did.

 

“Would you have liked to have been on the end of his fists? He looks like he could punch out Conan,” Darcy fired back, glancing at the empty space beside the big guy again. There was a cold feeling there and she kept expecting to see something appear. Weird. “Better to drag him into the van than to have to drag him _and_ one of us to the hospital.”

 

Loki smirked and studied the route they were taking, keeping an eye on Thor and weaving a spell to keep him unconscious as the cabbagehead did seem off-balance and might cause damage to the delicate equipment he could see in here. He stayed with Thor, hidden, through his admittance to this house of Midgardian care, his waking and subsequent drugging as well and realization dawned. Thor’s powers were gone!

 

Jane was just itching to get out of there. Luscious loony was in good hands and she had work to do. It wasn't until the phrase like he'd just fallen out of the sky from Darcy and the man shape mark on her equipment sunk into her brain that she was roaring to go back to the hospital and claim Hottie MacCrazy. No one was going to get their hands on her starman, just imagine what she could learn from him...

 

Loki paced before the room Thor had been placed in, snorting at the restraints keeping the unconscious man fastened to the odd bed. When Thor woke, even without powers, he’d easily break those. Loki did not want to reveal himself. He wasn’t ready, hadn’t learned enough of the culture and more importantly he did not want to deal with Thor. The entire point of coming to Midgard had been to get away from him.

 

He heard Thor waking and straightened, knowing he’d have to reveal himself if the idiot began throwing a fit again, only to relax when Odin’s son merely broke the restraints in as close to silence as he could manage and began to slip out of the hospital. Good. The idiot was finally learning discretion and the value of holding his peace.

 

When they got out however and Thor once again was struck by a vehicle, _the same damned vehicle_ , Loki had to drag a hand over his face. Discretion and silence? Yes. Awareness of his surroundings? Clearly not. The driver clambered out of the van, talking to herself and swearing that she wasn’t doing this on purpose and Loki made a considering hum. It looked to him as if the Norns had a hand in these meetings. The two maidens and the elder man once more got Thor into the van, Loki once more went with them hidden from sight and sound to see how this all played out.

 

\----------------------------------

 

Thor pulled a little at the crotch of the weird black trousers he had been given. They were very tight fitting but he liked the fastenings, little teeth that fit together. Holding the strange soft shirt in his hands he went out to see where he was. It was a tiny house with even smaller chambers, Thor was aware that all three people in the house were watching him closely. He was used to being watched but not like this, it made him feel slightly uncomfortable but he did his best to hide it.

 

He was aware that he was not in Asgard anymore. His parents shame in him stung, the fact that he could not apologize to his friends for hurting them stung and the knowledge that Loki had ran to avoid being with him stung most of all.

 

Thor pulled the shirt over his head and took a deep breath. “This mortal body is weakening, I need sustenance.” He had no hope of fixing anything until he’d replenished his energy and had some time to think.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------

 

“Why the desert, do you have any idea how much I loathe the desert?” Clint slid the window open and stuck his head out of it like a dog might. “Ugh, it even smells sandy, sand that gets _everywhere_. Why can’t the freaky shit happen in like...a tropical paradise, at a bar in a tropical paradise...a bar with AC in a tropical paradise?” He looked over at the driver of the car, silent and stoic like always. “So remind me again why I am here Agent? In the desert...which I hate...”

 

“There was an atmospheric disturbance detected, of unknown origin, followed by something impacting near a small New Mexico town. Said something, which is rumored to resemble a short handled sledgehammer, cannot be lifted by anyone who has tried so far. S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to investigate and I need a sniper for said investigation,” The man in the suit and ray-bans spoke evenly, well used to his asset’s complaining, “Or did you mean why I chose you specifically Barton, because that is a much less convoluted explanation.”

 

“Nah, I know why you chose me.” Clint leaned back against the seat, his own sunglasses sliding down his nose, revealing a flash of blue eyes. “I’m the best, can’t settle for anything second rate once you’ve had a taste of me. I just wish it wasn’t the fucking desert...And a sledgehammer, out of the sky...weird, even for our line of work.”

 

“No. I chose you because you hate the desert and because of the Beijing incident followed by the attack on the newly minted group of interns that you were told not to bother yet. That you’re the best sniper we have is a side benefit this time,” Phil turned onto the next exit.

 

“Aww, it warms my heart to see how much you care.” Clint put both his hands over his heart and did his very best to put on a saintly expression while plotting to somehow make sure Coulson’s underwear was all filled with sand and perhaps glue to make the sand stick more.

 

Coulson slanted a knowing look in his direction, “I wouldn’t advise it Specialist,” before facing fully forward for the rest of the drive to the site. The sunglasses hid his eye roll at the equivalent of a redneck country club beginning to form around the hammer in the crater.

 

“Charming, tailgating around the freaky alien artifact that fell out of the sky. A proper modern Excalibur legend.” Clint’s voice was drier than the sand around them. “Wake me when we get to wherever we’re supposed to live while we’re here in hell.”

 

“We’re the first responders Barton. When the rest arrive we’ll be setting up the site here.” It was maybe a little petty but he got satisfaction out of the frustrated sound Barton made. Not to mention the gestures he was making now had the muscles in his arms flexing nicely.

 

“This sucks, it sucks and not in the way I like.” “Clint groaned and looked out at the people gathered around the crater and the sun beating down on the sand. “Please tell me I can at least have my fun chasing these partygoers away, please? I need to get my rocks off somehow.”

 

Phil moved to sit on the S.H.I.E.L.D. issue car’s hood and made a gesture, “Go ahead. State your credentials first and ask them to vacate nicely before you have fun though. Minimal injury.”

 

“Yes mom.” Clint slid out of the car and blew Coulson a kiss before he swaggered down toward the crowd, making sure his weapons were firmly visible. This looked like a stubborn bunch and Clint really hoped he would get to have his fun even after playing nicely.

 

Coulson watched dispassionately, to the casual viewer, as Barton systematically chased the stubborn idiots off the site. Beneath the surface he was enjoying the show however. He always enjoyed watching Barton wreak his own special brand of havoc even if it caused an ungodly amount of paperwork. The younger man had a talent for making his worst quirks seem endearing to Phil. Not that anyone, especially not Barton, knew that. He drew his sidearm and shot the revolver out of the hand of the beer bellied man who’d aimed to shoot Barton in the back.

 

Clint turned around, hearing the gunshot and the man curse up a storm as he was stumbling back, cradling his hand close to his body. “My hero!” Clint called across the distance between them. He was a little more alert and on his guard though, chasing the rest of the people away. And if he was a little hot under the collar from witnessing Coulson handle his weapon, well that was nobody’s business but his own.

 

Once the group of thrill seekers and gawkers was gone, Coulson called Fury to let him know they’d found it and to send the rest of the agents assigned to this mission. Maybe later he’d see if there was a decent place for food in the nearby town. If not it would be MREs from a temporary mess.

 

\-----------------------------------------------

 

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor, having just barely managed a spell to keep the cup he threw down from breaking. The woman called Jane picked it up as Darcy used some sort of device to capture an image of Thor. Both women were amusing in their own ways but the little spitfire who’d felled Thor was the one Loki liked best. And she continued to look in his own direction though he knew the spell keeping him hidden still worked. Definitely some insight to her. Perhaps, if he chose to reveal himself, he might find an accomplice in mischief in the maiden Lewis.

 

Thor still tasted the bitter, hot aftertaste of the beverage that the maidens had gotten for him. He liked the taste very much and he couldn’t understand their shocked faces as he threw the mug to the floor. He did not mean anything bad by it, it was a compliment. He smiled when Lady Darcy told him to but his insides were still twisted ugly inside of him.

 

When the man came in talking about hammers and strange men, Thor knew he had to get there. If he could only make it to Mjolnir then things would be okay, he would get to go home.

 

Loki listened well himself and took in as much information, as the ladies explained why not to destroy any of the crockery to Thor, as he could. From what he could gather and knowing Odin, this was a test and a lesson for Thor. One that would be hard and painful he suspected. He followed in the wake of his brother and the women, an unseen shadow in their wake.

 

Upon returning to where Jane lived however, there were men in severe black clothing taking the good lady’s belongings and putting them into black vehicles.

 

“What are you doing?” Jane rushed forward, eyes wide as all her research as well as private belongings were packed away in boxes by the strangers. “You can’t do this; it’s my things, my property.”

 

Thor felt something clench inside him at the panic in Lady Jane’s voice. He did not want her to be sad or upset.

 

Darcy was fussing along with Jane, she wasn’t a fan of science really but Jane was her friend, “You’re violating our constitutional rights!”

 

Phil just cocked a brow at the women and passed over papers allowing the seizure of everything on the premises deemed to be relevant to the discovery of the hammer, “We have a warrant Dr. Foster, anything connected to the Einstein-Rosen Bridge falls under the purview of our organization.”

 

“What organization would that be?” Dr. Selvig held Jane back as she made a wounded sound as her journal, containing everything she’d found was taken and placed into a box.

 

That sound though was nothing compared to the screech Darcy made as her iPod was taken too.

 

Loki slipped a hand into one of the boxes and retrieved what he’d learned was called a USB drive that held information. He presumed there was likely something important to Lady Jane’s research inside it. Then he watched Lady Darcy kick the black suited cretin taking her iPod in the shin, hard, and said cretin getting a warning look from the man who was obviously in charge when he made a move toward her.

 

Phil didn’t like having to do this. He truly didn’t. This woman had very clearly worked all her life for what they were taking and he hated having to confiscate even her personal belongings until it could be determined whether they were relevant or not. This part of his job always made him feel like a bully. He watched the last of the boxes and equipment get loaded onto the SUVs and nodded at Dr. Foster, “Thank you for your cooperation.”

 

“Kiss our pretty pink asses G-man,” Darcy hissed at him, “I hope you get sand fleas in your tighty-whities.”

 

Thor agreed that the men were behaving most dishonorable and he would have liked to put them in their place but lady Jane had warned him not to speak and he did not want to cause her any more trouble than he already had.

 

Erik Selvig held back both Jane and Darcy as the black vehicles drove away, he was as upset as they were but causing trouble now would only lead to more trouble for them. He had dealt with the government before.

 

Darcy sat next to Jane, rubbing her back as they all spoke sadly about their things being taken, “So not fair.”

 

Loki had to agree, it was very unfair but so was life. Still for such a thing to happen, the Lady Jane must have been close to discovering something the men hadn’t wanted her to. Or perhaps stepping close to bringing something dangerous about.

 

“I need to get to my hammer; if I do then things will be better. I can retrieve your belongings also.” Thor paced the floor, hating this, hating feeling so helpless.

 

“I can drive you.” Jane offered. It wasn’t like she had anything else to do now. All her work was gone.

 

“No.” Erik’s voice was firm. “You shouldn’t go anywhere near there. All it will do is draw attention to you and get you into more trouble. Lay low and you might have an actual chance at getting your stuff back. You can’t listen to someone who goes around thinking he’s the actual Thor, god of thunder.”

 

“I am Thor!” Thor was offended; he never pretended to be anyone other than who he was.

 

Darcy scooted a little bit away from him warily, “Easy big guy.”

 

Loki found it wonderfully amusing that Thor’s identity was doubted by this Selvig, whose ancestors likely had worshipped the Aesir as gods. It was almost enough to make him drop the concealment spell to see his reaction and how he might explain it away, almost but not quite.

 

Thor stiffened, feeling horrible that lady Darcy was afraid of him. After what he’d done to his friends in his rage, he felt like he could not trust himself and that did sting.

 

“Selvig is right; you should not put yourself in harm’s way any more than you have.” Thor slid into the coat that lady Jane had lent him. “I need to get to my hammer though so I will take my leave from you now. Thank you for the kindness and aid you have shown me.” He nodded at them and slipped out the door to find a mode of transport.

 

Loki’s brows shot up and he had to admit to being reluctantly impressed. Not only that Thor was putting Lady Jane’s safety ahead of his wants but that he’d _noticed_ himself making Lady Darcy uncomfortable. Was he perhaps already changing? He followed Thor out and to what appeared to be a small shop that sold animals.

 

Thor slammed into the shop. “I need a horse.”

 

The small man working the pet shop looked startled. “Um, dude...we don’t have any horses. We sell cats, dogs, birds and the like.”

 

“Then give me one large enough to ride.” Thor couldn’t see the problem.

 

Loki shook his head sadly. Redeeming moment but still a cabbagehead. Would Thor not learn to look around him, there was naught here large enough to carry a child much less Thor.

 

“Dude, cats and dogs here. You can’t ride those. Not without breaking state law anyway and I want nothing to do with that shit.” The employee seriously considered calling the cops. He heaved a relieved breath when the large lunatic left the shop with a frustrated sound.

 

It looked like Thor would have to walk; he could still trust the use of his own two feet. He was just not sure which direction he would head toward.

 

Jane pulled up next to him in the van. “Jump in.”

 

Thor gave her a surprised look. “But you should not...”

 

“I have nothing left to lose. If I can cause some trouble for the suits by helping you then yay me.” Jane smiled at him.

 

Loki jumped in after Thor did, he never could resist an adventure with the idiot after all. And someone had to keep an eye on him. He looked up as thunder rolled, Thor’s powers might be gone but enough of a connection remained that it called to the weather.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay....basically we don't like Selvig and it is CLEARLY displayed in this chapter. We don't like him because of his sneering about Hawkeye in the movie before the mind control thing. So if you're a fan of Eric Selvig we apologize.

Coulson looked up from his meal of beanie weenies as rain began to pour down like a monsoon, his gut telling him that something was about to happen and he stood, tapping his ear piece, “I need eyes up high with a gun.”

 

“Roger that Agent.” Clint looked at all the guns and rifles he had displayed in front of him before selecting his bow instead. Coulson couldn’t complain about that since he could use his bow better than any other sucker could handle a gun. He went out in the rain and looked at the crane in disgust before climbing into the basket and pressing the button to take him up. Another thing he truly hated about the desert. No natural perches. “I am in place Sir, any idea what I am looking for?”

 

“Anything unusual,” Coulson also called for more security on duty around the hammer and went to find his own spot to observe from.

 

“Anything unusual, in a rain drenched hellhole...got it.” Clint was muttering to himself as he shifted into a more comfortable position and put his eyes to good use.

 

\-----------------------------------

 

Thor had waited until it was dark, he’d spent the afternoon talking with Lady Jane and having a surprisingly good time. The lady was funny and clever and most of all kind, Thor could tell she had a truly good heart. He watched the barbed wire fence and security around the place where Mjolnir was, finding it ridiculous that these people thought they could ever keep him away from his hammer. He nodded toward Jane in goodbye and set off, finding a hole in the fence and made his way through it, the rain already making him wet to the bone.

 

“Sir, got someone coming here.” Clint couldn’t see much more than a blurred figure tossing security agents around as if they were ragdolls. “Should I take the shot?”

 

“Wait,” Coulson could see that his men were getting beaten up but there was also a stutter to the pattern, falls not quite caused by whoever they were fighting. He knew later Hawkeye could tell him more depending on what happened.

 

Loki was rolling his eyes even as he tripped people coming at Thor’s back. He didn’t know what would happen once Thor reached Mjolnir but he wasn’t going to have the fool injured during the attempt.

 

Thor was busy getting to Mjolnir but he could tell that things were going too easy. Running through the thin walled tunnels were confusing but he would be getting there.

 

“Do you want me to slow him down Sir? Or are we sending in more guys for him to beat up?” Clint was beginning to be amused; at least this dude wasn’t boring.

 

“Hold Barton.” Phil could see better now as a big shadow ran through the white corridors of the tents around the hammer. He knew the instant the intruder spotted the main guard, a man who was taller and broader, because the shadow paused for a moment before running forward. He’d give the man this, he had balls.

 

Loki blinked at the man Thor was now charging. He was almost as large as Heimdall and the collision between him and Thor made Loki’s bones ache in sympathy before they began grappling and fighting. The side of the cloth housing ripping to spill them both into the mud. It was probably very inappropriate but Loki had to admire the way Thor looked flexing his muscle in a fight in the mud and the rain.

 

“Make up your mind soon Sir, I am beginning to like this guy.” Clint kept his eyes on the intruder and on the intruder’s unseen companion because it was clear that the stranger was not working alone.

 

Thor finally saw Mjolnir and he struggled to get there, he didn’t care about the pains and the aches as he finally managed to beat the guard unconscious. He made his way to the hammer and smiled as he closed his hand around the handle. Everything would be fine now. The smile froze when the hammer wouldn’t budge, Thor pulled on it harder and nothing happened. There was no welcoming hum from her, no disapproval either. Only silence. Thor fell to his knees when he realized he was truly cut off from his home. His father had cast him out, really didn’t want him and his mother approved of it.  He was completely lost and alone.

 

Loki’s heart twisted seeing Thor hurting thusly. Lessons in growing up always hurt but that didn’t mean Loki wanted Thor to have to hurt. He stood off to the side as more men swarmed and had to restrain his impulse to blast them away when they hauled Thor up and off into the facility. He didn’t like anyone touching Thor when he was so vulnerable. He turned and looked up into the falling rain that softened from the wild storm to drops that were more like the sky was weeping. He looked up to where he felt eyes on him and took close note of the man with the bow, an arrow still ready to be loosed. Then he nodded and threw the archer a bone, letting light flash at his heels for a bare instant before he followed the men leading Thor away.

 

Clint cackled softly, happy that his eyes hadn’t been deceiving him after all.

 

Thor let himself be taken and manhandled into a chair in a white, empty room. Nothing mattered anymore anyway. He stayed still and quiet and just let things happen.

 

Coulson stepped into the room, looking at the man, recognizing him as the one who’d been with Dr. Foster today. He also recognized the look of a man who’d been nigh broken. Perhaps he’d be willing to talk but Phil doubted it. Still he had to try, “It's not easy to do what you did. You made my men, some of the most highly trained professionals in the world look like a bunch of minimum-wage mall cops. In my experience, it takes someone who's received similar training to do what you did to them. Why don't you tell me where you received that training? Afghanistan, Chechnya? No, you strike me more as the soldier of fortune type. Who are you?”

 

Not so much as a twitch.

 

Loki watched the man ask questions of Thor, and saw under the stern clothing and cold demeanor, a spark of compassion. He didn’t strike at Thor or even cut him with words. Perhaps he recognized that both would be akin to stabbing a crying babe at present. The man was called away and Loki sighed before letting his cloaking spell slip for Thor and Thor alone. He couldn’t leave him like this. “You remain a cabbagehead.” It was soft and not at all condemning.

 

“Loki...” Thor looked like he didn’t believe his eyes and he surged up as much as he could where he was chained to the chair. “What are you doing here?” He stopped and looked down, attempting to swallow back the tears. “You should not be here now, I have been banished. My Father needs you now, you should be there.”

 

“If Odin needed me he would have sent me a message. Why, may I ask, were you banished so close to your father entering Odinsleep?” Loki waved a hand and had a chair forming from ice and he sat in it so as to be on Thor’s level and not stand above him.

 

Thor couldn’t meet Loki’s eyes, shame and self-loathing coursing through him. “I am unworthy; I am an unworthy friend, an unworthy prince and most of all an unworthy son.” He clenched his tied hands. “I struck out in anger, did not think and it cost me everything.”

 

“You often don’t think, it’s not an uncommon happenstance, as well as often say thi-” Loki’s eyes went wide, disbelief slithering through him, “You _hit_ someone?” He was astonished. Thor could be volatile but never in Loki’s memory had he struck another person outside of training or battle and _certainly_ never one of their own people.

 

"Aye." Thor still couldn't look at Loki and it cut him inside to admit just how loathsome creature he had turned out to be. "I believe Fandral was the only one coming out of it unscathed and that is only because he had the brains to stay away from me in my madness."

 

“You....” Loki was staggered, and for one in his life he was speechless, for a few moments. He stood, making the ice chair disappear as he paced, working it out in his mind.  “So Odin tossed you down here and Mjolnir holds her peace to teach you a lesson.” He huffed a bit, “Sif will likely make you _crawl_ when next you see her.” He had no doubt that Thor would eventually learn his lesson, he was capable of learning, he’d simply never had cause to learn this before. “And I am once more in the position of keeping you from death or imprisonment.”

 

"No." Thor's voice got back some of its normal strength. "No Loki, as much as I have missed you and that I am rejoicing seeing your face here, I do not ask or wish for your aid, not this time. If you are right and this is a lesson." Something Thor doubted very much. "Then it is a lesson for me and me alone. It pains me but you left for a reason and I cannot be the shackle around your ankle any longer."

 

“I left to discover Midgard, and I can easily begin that journey here, especially considering all the elements seeming to be coming together over Mjolnir. I have no intention of interfering in your lesson you cabbagehead, merely keeping you alive and free so you may learn it.” Loki gave Thor an arch look, “You may, of course, attempt to run from me, but it is _my_ choice to keep you from significant harm.” He smirked, “Of course I will not move to stop the Lady Darcy should she wish to drop you like an oak once more.” He fully cloaked himself from all eyes and ears once more and chuckled mischievously as the stern man entered the room again, with the archer.

 

"Hi there Tweedle-dee," Clint grinned brightly at Thor. "So...where do you have Tweedle-Dum?" He looked around the room as if expecting to see the other. "You are good, not denying that. Very good even but I find it hard to believe that you are able to take down bogeys that haven't even reached you yet."

 

Thor still said nothing.

 

Loki slipped up behind the archer and blew a cold breath across the back of his neck, easily skipping out of the way when the man spun and struck out.

 

Phil turned and narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the empty space behind Barton. If Hawkeye said there had been someone else with the blond man, then there had been. So the likelihood of that ally being here was high. He set his hand over the butt of his sidearm. 

 

Thor would never betray Loki's presence because no matter what his brother said, Thor didn't want Loki to have to deal with any of his problems this time around.

 

Clint could still feel where the cold air had hit his neck; he had goose bumps from it. It seemed that their invisible guest liked to play games, luckily that was something Clint was good at too. He raised his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming it at Thor. "Hey Sir, think Goldilocks would be more willing to have a chat with us if I put an arrow in his knee?"

 

Loki cocked a brow and tsked silently, taking one of his daggers and slicing through the bowstring once more moving out of range of any retaliation before the archer could react.

 

Coulson didn’t draw his weapon, if he couldn’t see or hear the direction of the target it was useless and clearly their invisible company was keener on protecting the man who’d gone after the hammer than he was on harming them. He addressed the blond, “Our organization monitors threats and deals with them. I’m sure you can understand why a man capable of taking out several highly trained operatives, who appears to have an invisible friend, is a person of interest to us. Especially when that man tries to steal an artifact that we are investigating.”

 

Loki sighed and leaned on the wall, letting his spell drop the rest of the way, “Technically Mjolnir belongs to him. Oh come now,” he clucked his tongue at the archer pulling a gun on him, “I’ve revealed myself in good faith. I could have quite easily taken Thor out of here without you seeing so much as a flicker.”

 

“Right now I can’t say that I care.” Clint’s arm was perfectly steady as he aimed the gun at the newly visible man. “You cut Daisy’s string and I have half a mind to shoot you just for that.” It took ages to get the bows back to how he wanted them after he had to restring them.

 

“Shoot him and I will have to break your back, not that you would hit your target.” It was the first thing Thor said in front of the Midgardians.

 

Loki rolled his eyes though Thor having faith in his abilities was warming, “Perhaps, little archer, if you had not pointed an arrow at Thor I would not have felt it necessary to cut the string.”

 

Coulson cut a look over to Clint, “Stand down,” then he looked at the one their new guest was calling Thor, “Hawkeye always hits his targets, no matter what they are.” Then he turned his attention to the smirking brunet, “Who are you?”

 

“Loki, of Asgard,” he continued to study the archer not giving much attention to the other man having taken his time to assess him already.

 

Clint reluctantly lowered the gun. He would have scoffed at the stranger calling himself Loki except for the powers the man seemed to have, combined with the large blond brute and the hammer in the crater just a little bit away from where they were and it didn’t sound that ridiculous or crazy. “The god of mischief...and you called Goldilocks Thor...Yeah, glad to only be the hired muscle in this one. It’s all yours Sir; feel free to handle this mess all on your own.”

 

Loki laughed, “ _Only_ hired muscle? Hmm I doubt that little archer.” He tapped his chin and smirked at him, “Very much doubt it. There’s a spark to you that few have. Oh this is indeed going to be fun.”

 

Coulson shifted, going from benign to a threatening presence in just one slight movement. He didn’t like the sound of that and more he didn’t like that it was directed at Barton, “You’re claiming to be a god.” It was a flat, humorless statement.

 

Loki scoffed but obligingly shifted his attention from the archer, though it was Thor he addressed, “One day I am going to turn Bragi and Freyr into donkeys for their idiotic braying and boasts when upon Midgard.”

 

“It’s Bragi and Freyr, how are you supposed to tell the difference? Turning them from one kind of ass to another wouldn’t help much.” Thor managed to send Loki a small smile, and then he turned his eyes on the suited man. “We have never claimed to be gods; I am not one, not even close.”

 

Coulson cocked a brow, “And what would you call yourselves then?”

 

Loki studied his nails, “I doubt you have an equivalent term as of yet. The Lady Jane, whose belongings you stole today, is apparently researching something your people call an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. From what little I could gather overhearing, it sounds to me like the Bifrost which we,” he nodded at Thor then buffed his nails on his coat, “use to travel to the other branches of Yggdrasill.”

 

“The world tree, the tree of life.” Clint was still eyeing Loki suspiciously; there was something about the man that put his teeth on edge.

 

“Nine realms, nine branches.” Thor nodded, surprised that the archer seemed to know as much as he did about their expressions and history. “And you will return Lady Jane’s belongings, I insist upon it.”

 

“How do you intend to enforce that?” Coulson asked archly.

 

“Good question,” Loki muttered though his attention was once more on the archer, and he was smirking at him intently. Clever man, very clever. He was going to enjoy his time here very much.

 

Clint twitched at having Loki’s full attention focused on him; he took a not so subtle step away from the dark haired man and looked down at poor Daisy’s mangled body.

 

“I will of course break these bonds and go get Lady Jane and Lady Darcy’s belongings myself if you do not do the honorable thing and return them.” Thor raised his free hands and wiggled his fingers at the suited man. He did not have his powers but these bonds were puny things, even easier to get out of than the restraints at the strange healing house he had been brought to. “You must be aware that you are the ones trespassing here, on Lady Jane’s life work and on Aesir property. Mjolnir does not belong to me anymore but she certainly does not belong to you either.”

 

“The hammer-”

 

“Mjolnir,” Loki corrected, taking his attention off the archer and settling it onto his commander, “She has a name and ‘she’ is very accurate in reference as Mjolnir is sentient.”

 

“A sentient hammer,” Coulson was, understandably skeptical.

 

“Yes. Is that such a strange concept to you when your clever boy here names his own weapon?” Loki tilted his head.

 

“Naming something doesn’t give it sentience.”

 

“No but I dare you to send someone to touch her handle and call her a mere hammer.”

 

“Needle nose here has a point, my hammer gets pissy too when someone touches his handle and call him mere anything.” Clint couldn’t help himself, the joke was just there, served on a silver platter. He pointedly ignored the glare he got from the now free giant blond as he called Loki needle nose.

 

Loki just laughed at the repressive look the commander threw the archer before prompting the stern man to continue, “But as you were saying...”

 

“Mjolnir is on our planet and could represent a threat to our people since it is apparently an alien weapon if what you’re claiming of yourselves is true. That means it stays under our watch to keep it out of the hands of anyone who might attempt to use it to cause harm.”

 

Thor rose from the chair in irritation. “No one will be able to use her to cause harm. Anyone who manages to wield her is someone worthy. Someone who would not use her powers for ill want. That is as I believe you say the whole point.” He ran his fingers through his damp and muddied hair. “Father put her here with me to remind me of what I have lost, to make sure I remember what my own stupidity cost me. Mjolnir is no threat to your realm.”

 

Loki made a very slight eye roll. If Thor wanted to believe he was being reminded of his mistake by Mjolnir’s presence then that was the cabbagehead’s choice. As he’d said, he wasn’t going to interfere with the lesson.

 

“I’m not likely to take the word of a man who’s attacked my subordinates, claims to be a mythical figure, is accompanied by another man claiming to be another mythical figure who disappears, neither of whom have documentation of their identities. The hammer stays here.”

 

“And you call me a cabbagehead.” Thor looked at Loki. “Well of course she stays here; no one can budge her until she is ready to be budged or until Father reclaims her.” He was frustrated but not surprised that no one believed him when he said who he was, Selvig, Lady Jane and Lady Darcy did not believe him either. Thor was more surprised they didn’t believe Loki though, Loki still had his powers.

 

Loki responded casually, “You _are_ a cabbagehead. The implication of the commander here,” and how interesting was it that the term made the stern man blink just a bit, “is that Mjolnir will remain under their control.” Then he turned a curious eye onto the commander, speaking with a very amused tone, “And what proof would you like precisely? Made into a dog? Jewels formed before your eyes? To be given wings?”

 

Clint couldn’t help but look up at the wings comment. How awesome wouldn’t it be with wings? He hoped he managed to keep a somewhat straight face though. “And just how would any of that prove that you are who you say you are? You could just be a fabulous hypnotist or some sort of magical wizard. And Goldilocks well...he’s just huge and blond.”

 

“My, you must have an interesting life,” Loki remarked, “to be so cavalier about such suggestions. I’m afraid magic is all I can offer in proof at present. I’m not particularly ready to return to Asgard,” he smiled, “Not when Midgard is already proving so wonderfully entertaining.”

 

“You have always had a somewhat warped sense of what is entertaining.” Thor shook his head but the words didn’t have any bite to them. It was a long, long time since he had seen Loki look so happy and relaxed. It hurt to realize that he was a big reason Loki hadn’t been happy at home in Asgard.

 

“What are we gonna do with them boss?” Clint shifted closer to Coulson. “No real holding cells in this hell desert.”

 

Loki watched the commander clearly considering, could nearly see a plan forming in his mind.

 

Coulson knew that there was no way to hold these two currently and any ways they might have would take too long to get here. However both men seemed interested in Dr. Foster regaining her research and that was a tool he could use to keep them in the area. “Let them go.” He saw green eyes narrow on him and stifled a brush of irritation.

 

“Your call Agent.” Clint shrugged. He knew they didn’t have a facility to keep them here and he had a feeling that as long as the hammer was where it was, well then these two strangers would stay close to it. “We’ll release blondie-bear and wicked-weasel back into the wild.”

 

Thor rolled his shoulders. The archer had a big mouth on him; it made him miss Sif and Fandral so much it ached.

 

Loki knew the stern man had something up his sleeve but then again, he did rather want to continue baiting these two. They were amusing.

 

Coulson moved to open the door, waving the two supposed gods ahead of himself and Barton.

 

Loki sauntered out, pausing next to them to give the archer a smirk again, “You have lovely eyes,” and then he was walking away down the hall, inwardly laughing at the choked noise the man made.

 

“The way he said that makes me think he wants to pluck the ‘lovely eyes’ out and wear them on a string around his neck.” Clint whined and shuddered violently.

 

“Barton you are a trained assassin. I trust you can prevent such a situation.” Phil cocked a brow at the blond man still standing in the room, “If you’d rather stay I'm certain we can construct some sort of jail pit as a temporary measure.”

 

“Such consideration to keep me comfortable.” Thor’s smile was nothing more than a showing of teeth. “I am merely waiting for you to lead me to Lady Jane’s belongings and research so that I can return them to her. If you want to learn about the bridge, I can teach you without ruining a life’s worth of work for a maiden.”

 

“The research, just as the hammer, stays here,” Coulson’s own smile was blandly pleasant.

 

“For now.” Thor could see the hidden strength coiled underneath the strict clothing and bitter though it was he knew he wouldn’t be able to take the other man right now. “You are making a mistake though, alienating those who would aid you. Deep down you know it is not the right path.” Thor brushed past them and walked down the narrow hallway after his brother. He needed to check on Lady Jane, make sure she was alright and that she had gone home safely, that she was not still waiting for him.

 

Coulson waited until the two men were gone from sight then looked over at Barton, “Get your bow fixed. I need to call the Director.”

 

“Giving Daisy life support will take me all night, you know that right. A whole night I could have spent sending Tasha dirty texts from your untraceable phone or doing the ol’ slap and tickle.” Clint stretched and picked up his bow like it was a baby. “Be sure to give old one eye my everlasting love.” That statement dripped with sarcasm.

 

“I’m certain he will enthused to hear that. If fixing your bow will take all night then you should get started shouldn’t you?” Phil was already moving, putting a detail on watching Thor and Loki as he headed for his office to discuss his plan with the Director.

 

"Sir yes Sir!" Clint called out after him with jaunty wave before walking toward the trailer slash workshop where he could work on his baby and make sure she was fit for fight again.

 

Coulson didn’t shake his head, though it was a near thing, and reached into his pocket for his personal phone. His stride hitched when nothing met his fingers. Had he reached into the wrong pocket? It was possible, though he was a creature of habit and it was his habit to always put his phone into his left pocket, his keys into his right to avoid scratches. He checked his right pocket and frowned when only his keys met his fingers. Did he leave his phone in his mobile office? Very unlikely but stranger things had happened. He’d take a look but if it wasn’t there he’d use the computer station to call Fury before going on a search for his phone. 

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Loki saw Thor snatch up the journal as they both followed Erik Selvig out, Selvig looking at him as if he was insane, much the same as he clearly thought Thor was. He silently passed the blond the usb device he’d snatched as well listening to Selvig grumble about going to get a drink. At the bar he sat, using magic to melt his clothing into a more Midgardian style, ignored the hostile looks he got from the more rough patrons while he listened to Erik talk about the Lady Jane and the difficulties she’d encountered.

 

He found himself snickering when the stiff old grouch turned and casually insulted the patron beside him, sparking a fight that he mostly stayed out of, letting Thor and Selvig blow off their own steam. Of course he had no difficulty grabbing the arm of an attacker, twisting to dislocate the shoulder, and casually tossing them away when he was swung at but that didn’t require getting up. When he saw the proprietor picking up a telephone however, he slid off the stool and through the crowd, casually flicking off the brawling gnats, to grab both Thor and Selvig by the collars. “Time to leave.”

 

He pulled them out with little problem, raising a brow when the mortal vomited then passed out, “I believe I will let you carry him.”

 

"How very generous and kind of you." Thor drawled and bent to hoist the passed out doctor over his shoulder. "You could easily carry the both of us without getting winded but thank you for letting me have my exercise." Thor had missed this, the easy companionship that had existed between the two of them when they were younger. He was grateful that Loki did not treat him differently, even though he was now so much less than he had been.

 

“Aye, I could.” Loki pulled the cell phone device he’d picked out of the commanding ‘agent’s pocket and tossed it in the air, a little spin before catching it again, “But why would I rob you of the joy.” He pocketed the phone, smirking when he thought of returning it when next he saw the taciturn man. It would be fun working to get a reaction from someone so self-possessed.

 

They reached the home of the lady scientist and Loki politely introduced himself to the wide eyed Jane, “Thank you, for providing assistance to the cabbagehead,” he angled his eyes at Thor.

 

Jane honestly didn't know what to believe or think.  "I...ah, well it was my pleasure? I mean I did hit him with me van...twice."

 

Loki grinned, “I know. It was his own fault, not paying attention to his surroundings. I must say I enjoyed the Lady Darcy’s own felling of him.” He looked at Thor, mischief and teasing in his eyes, “Felled by lightning of a sort. Delicious irony.”

 

“Aye, I have no doubt you find it delicious and amusing.” Thor was both embarrassed and a little happy which was a folly all on its own. He ducked his head as he pulled out the journal and the strange computer stick Loki had given him and handed it over to Jane. “I am sorry I could not manage to get it all for you.”

 

“No, no, this is wonderful, it’s enough. It means I won’t have to start all over.” She beamed at him and Loki. “I...I don’t have very much room but you are both welcome to stay.”

 

“Janey the whatsit is making that weird noise again, are you sure it isn’t bro-” Darcy came to a full stop and blinked at Loki for half a second before cocking her head, “Okay...so who’s tall, dark, and scarily gorgeous?”

 

Thor felt a flash of irritation but he stomped it down quickly. He could not fault Lady Darcy from speaking the truth, Loki was gorgeous after all.

 

Jane cleared her throat awkwardly. “Ah, yes...Darcy, meet Thor’s brother...Loki. Loki meet Darcy Lewis.”

 

Loki grinned under Darcy’s regard and sketched a playful bow, “A pleasure to formally meet you milady.”

 

“So you’re the little sneak huh?” Darcy cocked a hip in sassy attitude.

 

“Indeed I am,” his grin widened in delight, “Tell me do you have any witches in your ancestry? Seers?”

 

“My great aunt Lucy claims she can raise the dead but I don’t think that’s what you mean Mr. Invisible.”

 

“Not quite no.”

 

“So he’s the reason you’ve been looking like you’ve had ants down your shirt all this time.” Jane was actually relieved, she loved Darcy but she didn’t think she could handle her assistant getting any weirder. “Anyone for ice cream? Or maybe a shower?” She gave Thor a pointed look since he was still covered from head to toe in dried mud.

 

“Aye, I suppose I am dirty.” Thor looked down on himself sheepishly. “I will go to the wash room and clean up.”

 

Loki cocked his head in curiosity, “What precisely is ice cream?”

 

Darcy’s eyes widened and she gasped, “You’ve never had ice cream? Like they don’t have it in Rainbow Bridge Central or wherever?” She grabbed Loki’s arm, “Oh we are fixing that right now. C’mon, I’ve got some cherry garcia and triple chocolate fudge swirl with your name on it.”

 

Loki let her drag him off, amusement twitching at his lips.

 

“And Janey while blond and buff scrubba-dubs check that thingy ma jig! I don’t think it should be making that noise!”

 

“I’ll go check on it; I just hope it isn’t like last time when you’d spilled your coffee all over it.” Jane gave Darcy a sharp look before disappearing to check on her equipment.

 

“I did not _spill_. Erik of the ever oblivious elbows knocked my mug over. He broke the handle too.” Darcy continued to mutter while pulling an ever more amused Loki along.

 

\------------------------------------

 

Coulson was not in a good mood, not that most people could tell as he kept himself well controlled but it was there in the way he’d dressed down an agent who’d misfiled a relatively minor form and the way he’d given his stony glare to a maintenance tech who’d left his toolbox open and in the middle of a walkway. Now he sat in silence, Barton beside him, driving to Puente Antiguo to ‘request’ Dr. Foster continue her work, with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s backing and support, his hands were tight on the wheel and his radio off as he brooded on his missing phone.

 

Drumming his fingers on his knee, Clint shot Coulson a look. It sucked that Tasha was away on Stark duty because she was usually quite skilled in breaking Coulson’s moods. Clint usually had worse luck with that. He either managed to make the agent’s lips twitch or make it much worse, “Might want to loosen your grip there, Sir, somewhat difficult to drive a car with a cracked steering wheel.”

 

He flicked a glance at Barton but did exert effort to loosen his hands. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t have the phone, even as S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment it could easily replaced, it was that it was missing at all. He didn’t _lose_ things. He was meticulous, careful, and had small portable constant habits like which pocket things went into specifically to prevent things being lost. And it was the time wasted while looking for the damned thing. He _loathed_ wasting time.

 

“It’s a sunny day in Sandyhell after all and you have me. So instead of glaring death and destruction around you, say ‘thank you Clint for coming with me when it is time to coerce one of the masses into doing S.H.I.E.L.D’s dirty work.’” Clint fluttered his lashes at the senior agent. Yeah, he had never been very good at keeping his mouth shut or filtering his words.

 

Coulson couldn’t have held the twitch in check with the most herculean amount of control the world had ever seen or the most foul mood in history. “I believe it’s you who should be expressing gratitude Barton, as you were complaining so very _loudly_ about being bored earlier.”

 

“Thank you so very much Sir for letting me come with you to strong arm the doctor who is friendly with the people who wants to wear my eyes as jewelry.” Clint’s voice dripped honey. He was preening inside though because he’d seen the twitch and so his mission was a success. “If he succeeds in gouging them out then I will use you for a seeing eye dog, I will hold on to the back of your trousers all day and night, just so you know.”

 

If he weren’t so irritated about his missing phone, even with Clint at his most ‘charming’, Phil’s mind might have dipped briefly into the gutter. As it was this time he just lifted a brow, turning onto the town’s main street and heading for Dr. Foster’s base, “S.H.I.E.L.D. does have ocular implants should you suffer a misfortune Barton.”

 

“I know but if misfortune should happen then I would at least like something solid to hold on to.” Clint licked his lips and kept his eyes straight forward on the road.

 

Phil stifled the warmth that spread through him at the honesty in that statement and the trust it implied. And he didn’t have a reply, especially as they were now stopped and had drawn the attention of Foster’s team, who were coming out with narrowed eyes. He got out, noting that Barton did the same in concert.

 

Darcy slid her gaze over the G-man’s passenger as he stood then turned to shut the car door, “Yow Mama. That is the best ass I have ever seen in my life. How come the G-man gets that sweet piece of eye candy?”

 

“It’s the pay he offers.” Clint turned and grinned wickedly, his hearing nearly as good as his eyesight. “I whore my ass out for the perks it gives me.”

 

Jane was wide eyed. She couldn’t attempt to claim that she’d met many government officials in her life but she had never seen one like the one with the suit clad man before. “What are you doing here?” If they came to take back her journal and research again then she would fight them to the death.

 

Phil took his sunglasses off so he appeared more approachable. “We’d like to make you an offer Dr. Foster. May we come in?”

 

Darcy made a rude sound, “You steal our stuff one day then come back the next to try and sucker Janey into something? You and Mr. Yummy-buns can go-mmph.” She was cut off by Erik’s hand covering her mouth.

 

“What sort of offer are we talking about Agent Coulson?” Erik kept his hand over Darcy’s mouth even as she licked his palm to gross him out. “And perhaps we should take this conversation inside instead of having it on the driveway?”

 

Jane was slightly annoyed that Erik seemed to speak on her behalf so she just turned and headed inside, leaving the others to follow or not.

 

Thor gave the two men a sharp glare, arms crossed and nearly bursting out of his borrowed t-shirt.

 

Loki, for his part, was flipping something through his fingers and smiling like a Cheshire cat, “We meet again. I don’t believe I truly got your names and preferred terms of address yesterday.”

 

Coulson froze mid-step, “That’s my phone.”

 

“Oh is it?” Loki looked at the device he’d been fiddling with, “How strange. I just picked it up somewhere.” With a casual flick of his fingers the phone was sailing in a graceful arc toward its owner.

 

Coulson’s hand snatched it out of the air with a smooth, fast motion, his glare hot enough to melt a glacier.

 

Clint narrowed his eyes. Oh he didn’t not like Smooth ‘n Slick one little bit. Not only did he manage to anger Coulson but he managed to make Coulson betray his emotions, something Clint prided himself to being the only one able to do. “So sticky fingers as well as magical skills,” He arched his brow at Loki.

 

Loki blinked at him innocently, “Such an assumption, perhaps I spotted it on the ground and, being unfamiliar with your realm’s technology, I brought it back here with me so that those more knowledgeable,” here he gave Darcy a sweet smile, to her restrained giggles, “could help me discover how to locate the owner.”

 

“Sure oh creepy one, whatever you say.” Clint rolled his eyes and walked toward the open door to the house. “Easy Blondie.” He raised his hands as Thor growled at him. “I’m just gonna go inside, beg to get some coffee and let the grown ups do the talking.”

 

Darcy flounced inside and went to the coffeepot pouring herself some coffee before he could get to the pot, “I don’t trust your boss not to make you slip some kind of mind mojo into the coffee.”

 

Coulson could feel a headache starting, “Ms. Lewis I have a job to do, part of that job is often making people very unhappy in order to protect the greater good. And if I wanted to make you do as I wished there are easier methods at my disposal than slipping mind-altering chemicals into your coffee.”

 

“Like what implants?”

 

He gave her a bland smile, “Blackmail. You had a very busy summer at Sea World last year.”

 

Darcy’s eyes went wide and she made a meeping sound, “Okay yeah, you’re scary.”

 

“Indeed he is.” Clint sounded more impressed than anything and poured himself a cup of coffee without asking. He needed his caffeine being here with these people. “Another reason I let him ogle by ass on a daily basis.” He leaned against the counter. “So, Sea World huh? As long as you didn’t do the dirty with Flipper I can’t see what could be that bad.”

 

Selvig sighed deeply. If people like that man were what the government had to offer then his faith in them sunk deeply. “Let us get back to your offer please Agent Coulson.”

 

Loki rolled the name over in his head and noticed Coulson giving Selvig a brief, less than a second’s consideration that held more malice than the glare leveled at him had at the sigh. Interesting.

 

Coulson’s tone was flat, “Dr. Selvig as skilled as you are in your field, it’s not you I’m here to speak with. It’s Dr. Foster. If she’s interested in hearing my offer,” he turned a polite look onto the woman as he let that be a question. He wasn’t particularly pleased with Selvig trying to step in and speak for Foster but more, that look and attitude toward Barton was enough to make the man persona no grata in Coulson’s book. Barton could be a pain in the ass but he was one of the best agents he had and it always, _always_ , irritated him when people treated him as less.

 

Erik pinched his lips together in disapproval but stayed quiet.

 

“I suppose it depends on what you have to say.” Jane still looked wary. “Let’s hear your offer and I’ll decide if I am interested or not after I’ve heard it.” She motioned toward the kitchen table and the chairs there.

 

“Thank you,” Coulson moved to sit down. “First I’ll apologize for the confiscation of your equipment and research yesterday. It’s sometimes part of what we have to do. You’re working on a project that could potentially bring something dangerous to our world. There have been...lesser scientists who have managed to open small portals that create severe security issues for the general populace. It’s the responsibility of S.H.I.E.L.D. to prevent those occurrences as well as we can. We needed to see your research and equipment in depth before we could make the offer I’m about to extend.”

 

Darcy looked over at Clint and, begrudgingly, admitted under her breath, “Okay maybe he’s not such a government dick.” Anyone who at least tried to show Jane respect won points in her book. “But still my iPod? What could be on an iPod that would endanger the world?”

 

“Your taste in music?” Clint tilted his head with a grin. “Seriously though, you have no idea the length some people go to, to keep data hidden. I once had to retrieve a microchip on a mission and it was hidden in this huge pink rubber co...adult toy. An iPod is not that freaky a hiding place when you think about it.”

 

She blinked at him then pursed her lips, “Dildo or vibrating variety? And was it sparkly for the drag queen or pretty princess type? Or is that detail a matter of global security?”

 

Loki, who had gotten a crash course education last night while Darcy was under ice cream influence, snickered softly and fully intended to plan a prank around exactly that.

 

Phil heard them, of course he did, and managed to ignore them as he continued, “We’d like to offer you a contract with S.H.I.E.L.D. Dr. Foster. The benefits would be long term, steady employment, a _very_ good paycheck, any funds you need for your research, access to the best and rarest equipment in the world, and of course your own equipment and research returned to you. There are drawbacks, you couldn’t publish your discoveries though I can guarantee your former colleagues will be aware that you were chosen above them to work for an elite organization, there will always be S.H.I.E.L.D. security personnel around though they will be ordered not to get in your way unless there is a clear and present danger, and the paperwork is hellacious.” He offered no qualifier to that. There was nothing that made S.H.I.E.L.D. paperwork better.

 

“If I were to discover something, some way to travel to worlds or anything really...How would I know that my research wouldn’t be used to bring danger to other worlds? As tempting as the perks seem, I have a feeling you might gloss over the drawbacks. I am not helping you make a weapon or a way to conquer other worlds.” Jane laced her fingers together and rested her chin on her hands as she regarded Phil calmly, pretending not to hear the other agent describe the dildo into the tiniest detail.

 

“S.H.I.E.L.D.’s goal is to prevent war, not cause it.” Phil took out a small Stark tablet with the equivalent computing power of three of Foster’s hard drives, the man was more irritating than Barton on a sugar and caffeine high after taking S.H.I.E.L.D. approved uppers to get a long mission done but he knew his tech, and set it down in front of her, “There are a few files, the good, bad, and ugly bits of S.H.I.E.L.D. that I’ve been authorized to share with you, on there for your perusal. We’re not perfect Dr. Foster, and we don’t pretend to be to potential contractors,” he smiled, “That way when they agree they can’t claim to have been lied to and sue us.” He heard Clint start talking about where the dildo had been when they’d retrieved it, “Barton, even if Ms. Lewis asks for the details kindly observe the social niceties and not discuss it around the rest of us. I sincerely doubt Dr. Foster is interested in knowing about that mission.” He often wished he could forget it himself.

 

“I was awesome on that case and you know it. I had the mark wrapped around my fingers so I got the pink dick.” Clint did shut his mouth though and concentrated on drinking his coffee.

 

Jane looked through the files quickly, just glancing them over for now, not having the time or peace of mind to properly check them out. “How long to I have to think about it?”

 

“As long as you like. And another thing to consider, they,” he nodded at Barton and Ms. Lewis, “would have fairly regular interactions. If you choose to work with us I’ll make sure antacids and your liquor of choice are included in your contract to make up for it.” He ignored Clint’s delighted cackle when Darcy asked if that was serious thing in S.H.I.E.L.D. contracts.

 

“It is absolutely the truth, why someone would need antacids to be around sweet little me I cannot comprehend. The big kahuna though...oh you need to down a bottle of scotch just to stand being in the same room as him.” Clint shot Phil a glance. “Did I reveal too much right now?”

 

Thor stayed in the background, this was Lady Jane’s choice and he took the time to observe the warriors of Midgard.

 

“I need some time to think about it.” Jane was tempted, she had spent her whole life researching this and having such funding at her disposal would make everything so much easier but she didn’t want to bind herself into S.H.I.E.L.D slavery lightly.

 

Phil scoffed lightly, “If there is one thing that would give them cause to sue us, it would be softening the existence of Director Fury. By all means, be as descriptive as you like within reason and truth.”

 

“I have a very broad view of reason and when it comes to Cyclops you know and I don’t have to embellish the truth.” Clint looked gleeful as he threw himself into descriptions of the horror that was their Director.

 

Erik scoffed at the man, curling his lip.

 

Loki watched Agent Coulson narrow his eyes in Selvig’s direction before resuming his bland mask. He made his way quietly over to Thor and murmured for the blond’s ears only, “Lady Jane’s mentor is making an enemy by his disrespect to the archer.”

 

“Aye, I see it.” Thor nodded. “It appears that Selvig does not bother to look beneath the surface. You see it and we witnessed it in their holding room. The Archer is sharp, he simply does not flaunt it.”

 

“Indeed. But I do rather think both he and his commander are being rather dull about one particular aspect of each other,” Loki’s eyes gleamed with an unholy glee. He always enjoyed seeing how his pranks could be used to nudge people into seeing what they’d ignored under their noses.

 

“I know that look, I almost pity them. Almost.” They had tied Thor to a chair and the archer had threatened to put an arrow in his knee. Thor thought they deserved to have Loki’s special attention focused on them and if it made the pair recognize their true feelings for each other then that was a good thing.

 

“Why would you do that?” Loki teased, “My attention is a boundless gift.” He looked up at Lady Darcy’s soft exclamation of disbelief.

 

“He did not! No one is capable of completing the cinnamon challenge. It would require no taste buds and completely closed off sinuses.”

 

“I swear to god.” Clint raised one hand solemnly. “Well not any of the gods whispering in the corner over there but you know what I mean. I suspect he’s an android deep down and not one built by Stark.”

 

“Stark hasn’t built any androids yet,” Coulson said as he stood up, setting a card down on the table, “and the day he does is the day I will be turning in my resignation. Dr. Foster, we’ll leave you for today. You can call either number on the card to reach me if you make your decision while Agent Barton or I are not in town.”

 

“Which won’t be for very long I hope.” Clint rose as well. “Though the company does improve this hellhole slightly.” He winked at Darcy.

 

“Awww thank you sweetcheeks,” she gave him a smile and sipped at her coffee, “you’d certainly brighten up the scenery around here. Tell me does anyone ever just ask to lick your arms or nibble on your butt?”

 

Phil simply began walking out with an eye roll hidden by the sunglasses he put on as he did. God help him, Clint had found a kindred soul.

 

“It happens, though I only let special people have a nibble.” Clint’s grin was so wide it nearly split his face in half. “I guess it is on par with people wanting to motorboat you.” He waved and walked out after his handler.

 

“Crude man.” Erick scoffed and walked into the room he was staying in while visiting Jane.

 

Darcy razzed at his back, “You really need to change your perception old man!” She gave Loki a doe eyed look, “I’m not the only one seeing brains beneath that pretty brawn am I?”

 

“You’re not,” he assured her, “He was perfectly aware of the position of everyone in the room and all potential weapons available to him and to us as well as how best to use them. I would say that this Agent Coulson would not have brought him along if he were simply brawn.”

 

“Indeed not.” Thor agreed. “It is an excellent cover though, if people believe you are only brawn, then it is a simple matter to make them underestimate you when it is needed.”

 

Jane rose and reached for the tablet that Coulson had left behind. “I’ll just be on the roof, I need to read through this and think.” She needed some alone time to sort her head out.

 

“You want any chocolate milk or anything to contemplate with Janey?” Darcy asked. Her job was to look after Jane and it was a job she took seriously.

 

Jane shot her a soft smile before reaching into the fridge for a bottle of water. “No, I’m good. Relax, you’re off the clock Darcy. Have some fun.”

 

“Dangerous order!” She chirped as Jane left then she beamed at Loki and Thor, “So what cultural adventures shall we go on today boys?”

 

“You are our guide to Midgardian customs Lady Darcy so we turn ourselves over into your capable hands.” Thor smiled at her, he had to admit that he was excited about learning more about the world he now found himself in.

 

“Good gravy he’s so cute,” she said to no one in particular, “Okay well the town is pretty dry in terms of places to go but we’ve got the new laptop and my netflix subscription so we’ll have a little history lesson and then watch a movie from the AFI 100 list.” She went to get the laptop bought that morning.’

 

Loki moved to sit down, making himself comfortable for what they were about to be shown. He looked over at Thor, “How are you fairing this midday?” He was concerned, genuinely, about Thor’s lack of Aesir abilities and how it might affect his body.

 

“I am well.” And he was, as well as could be expected anyway after having been hit by a car twice and fought his way through a dozen warriors yesterday. He felt like one big bruise but that was okay, he would heal. It was worse being expelled from his home because no matter what Loki said, he hadn’t seen the disappointment on Frigga and Odin’s faces. Thor was not sure he would ever be able to face them again even if he was allowed to.

 

“You had best not be making light of aches you have. I would be most displeased.” He wanted to get up and go to Thor, to wrap his arms around him and ease the hurt he knew was flowing through him from his exile but he couldn’t. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t. It would both demean the lesson Thor was learning and reveal how he felt for the cabbagehead and the latter was unacceptable so long as Thor might treat him as a pet once things became settled.

 

“I would not wish to displease you as it would certainly leave me aching more than I do at present.” Thor gave him a small smile. “I am fine, a little banged up but no worse than after a thorough spar against Sif and the Warriors Three.” It still hurt a little, even mentioning the friends he had wronged. “I will heal soon enough.”

 

Loki made a soft hum and nodded just as Darcy returned, and began babbling about what videos were.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small thing that might cause confusion, instead of typing out 'The Warriors Three and Sif' I (the I being trulywicked) have instead lumped the whole group together as 'the Warriors Four' because I'm lazy. Many pardons.

Coulson would not admit to accepting a dare from a disappearing man who claimed to be a Norse god, but he did in fact send someone to touch the hammer’s handle and call it a mere hammer as suggested. And he saw the agent fly back several feet from a jolt of electricity that left only the same reaction as a mild taze. It was still a point in the favor of sentience.

 

He sighed and turned only to blink as he saw Barton stalking over to him, looking angry enough to spit nails.

 

“Permission to seek out dark and creepy and shoot his head off Sir.” Clint was not happy, not even one little bit. He’d woken up from yet another night filled with frustrating dreams featuring his handler to see dildos everywhere he looked. Pink dildos of every shape and size and they were _everywhere_. In bed with him, in the bathroom, the sink, in the toilet when he flipped the lid up. The pockets of his clothes, in his shoes and the worst of all...in his quiver. Every arrow was replaced by a pink rubber or plastic dick.

 

In the past week Loki had very clearly been doing his best to get both of their goats. He’d stolen the car keys, turned his suits into rhinestone encrusted country western monstrosities and somehow had ‘Like a Rhinestone Cowboy’ play every time he entered a room, made Barton squawk like a chicken every time he tried to say ‘Sir’, then there was the rain cloud that had followed him around for an entire day drizzling all the time and occasionally dropping frogs or goldfish or some other kind of poor creature on his head. Even Phil was reaching the end of his patience, “What is it this time?”

 

“Cocks!” Clint was loud and he didn’t care that some of the S.H.I.E.L.D employees turned to stare at him. “Toy cocks everywhere; my belongings are brimming with them. Look, just look what was in my quiver.” He pulled out a long rubbery monstrosity that lit up as he shook it around.

 

Phil rolled his lips in as he watched the long, floppy, light up pink phallus wiggle in Barton’s fist. Any other time and he might have given in to laughter but Barton just looked so _aggrieved_ that he was dead certain laughing would end with him being shot. “I see. Unfortunately being a pain in the ass isn't a crime so no, you can’t shoot him.”

 

“Can I at least find him and shove this,” He waved the dildo around even more violently, making the light up lights change colors, “up his ass along with the rest of them. Why can’t we just dissect him like the other aliens at Roswell. One crappy desert town is as good as the next one for such things I would think.”

 

Phil, because Agent Coulson flew out the window as soon as the dildo was waved, pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, "Clint there were no aliens at Roswell, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

 

Clint narrowed his eyes at his handler and branded the dildo like a sword, pointing it straight at Coulson’s chest. “At least until your nose stops growing when you lie. Of course there were aliens at Roswell, weather balloon my toned and perky ass.”

 

“Perky as your ass is,” Sweet Jesus he was losing his mind if he’d softened enough to actually voice that, “"I didn't say it was a weather balloon either but that there were no aliens found at Roswell."

 

Clint was too worked up to notice Phil’s slip about his behind. “Found being the operative word there I believe. If there weren’t any aliens being cut open at Roswell it’s only because S.H.I.E.L.D  or Howard Stark got to them first and recruited them.”

 

Phil twitched, finding Clint flushed and sweaty from the heat of New Mexico entirely too appealing for his peace of mind, and the unbroken line of his suit, "Clint if it will get you to drop it I will take you to Area 51 myself so you can see what was found and you will _owe_ me because I do not like having to deal with the agency that runs the location."

 

Something other than anger came into Clint’s eyes and he pursed his lips as he gave Phil a look from underneath his lashes. The effect slightly ruined by the fact that he was still pointing a wiggling dildo at Phil’s chest. “I am sure I can think of some way to repay you Agent.”

 

It was entirely the heat that made Phil’s cheeks red and not the sudden, _painful_ arousal that gripped him. He opened his mouth to say something that was bound to shatter a thousand rules and possibly his working relationship with the archer. “H-

 

“I find this conversation the two of you are having marvelously fascinating. Tell me does your particular agency have fraternization policies?" Loki sauntered into view, smirking evilly, knowing exactly what he’d interrupted. It was, of course, all part of his plan. Make the both of them so frustrated that once they took the step there would be no going back or redacting anything.

 

And the anger was back full force, there had been something there in Coulson’s eyes, something Clint had wanted to see for a very, very long time and now the moment was ruined. He turned and glared at the newcomer. “Shut it E.T, no one asked for your opinion.”

 

"Now, now Agent Barton. No need to take your frustrations out on me," Loki continued to smirk at him, enjoying the way Barton looked close to exploding, "Especially as I've come with an invitation from Darcy to join her at the local alehouse. I believe it's called the Stuck Pig."

 

Clint bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from spewing venom. He liked Darcy, liked her a lot even and a trip to a bar for a night out sounded good.  "Ah sounds like a place that Goldilocks would like, perhaps he find someone actually deserving of his attention there...or at least find someone new to taser him."

 

Loki twitched minisculely. The archer wasn’t wrong, Thor seemed to be enjoying Midgard more with each passing day, and was positively thrilled with the people, that he actually treated like their own beings. He smiled at the other man, "Yes, I'm sure Thor could easily find a bedmate there. He's never had much trouble getting what he wants as he has no trouble voicing what he wants. A trait that appears to elude certain Midgardians," he gave Barton pointed look.

 

 "Ah, so you're the one bottling everything up inside, no wonder you look so bloated. Now keep that pointy needle nose out of my business or the only pig stuck here will be you." Clint stalked closer so he stood toe to toe with Loki, the pink dildo shoved up beneath Loki’s chin. “I mean it.” He threw the dildo at Loki and stalked off to find some poor junior agent to take out his frustrations on.

 

Loki made the dildo vanish with barely an effort and cast a look at Coulson, "Your archer is such a charming character Agent."

 

Phil lifted the lidded coffee cup in his hand, muttering, "He's not mine. He's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archer."

 

The look turned pitying, "You mortals are all so blind, even the clever ones like yourself. It's a wonder your species hasn't died out." He genuinely liked the Senior Agent, saw a slight resemblance to himself in the calm, controlled mannerisms used to hide what was underneath. “You might find, if you take the risk, that your rewards are more than even you imagine.” He then swanned off like the little drama queen he was.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

Thor still couldn’t understand what passed as music in Midgard some of it was beautiful enough to bring tears to his eyes but most of it only sounded like horrible noise to him. The music at The Stuck Pig was loud and booming but it was a merry tune. “The ale is good. It is not like the mead in Asgard but it is not bad.” He raised his beer glass toward his brother. “Why do you not have some?”

 

Loki cocked a brow, “Have I ever been the sort to drink even the mead in Asgard?” He couldn’t help but let a smile flirt around his lips, chuckling as Darcy was plastered to Clint’s side and trying to convince him to do something called Karaoke. “I like to have my wits about me, never have much cared for the way drink dulls them,” he sipped at the cherry coke he’d gotten, and received many disgusted looks for.

 

“An ale would not dull that sharp mind but if you do not wish one you should not have it.” Thor clunked his glass against the one of his brother in a salute and drank deeply. He didn’t mind dulling his wits, not that he had much of it to begin with. Thor watched as Lady Darcy dragged the archer up to a small platform. “Oh, it looks as if they are about to perform something.” He watched curiously.

 

Loki hummed, noting that the archer looked more than half-way to inebriated as Darcy poked him into what she considered an acceptable position before they began singing some song about a placed called Jackson. He glanced up, smirking as halfway through the song the door to the bar opened and Agent Coulson came in, eyeing the two onstage warily before finding a place to sit beside Loki.

 

“How much have they had to drink?”

 

“Darcy has had four cosmopolitans and I believe that Barton downed three very small drinks called Purple Nurples,” Loki lifted his brows at the almost pained look crossing the agent’s face.

 

Phil sighed and pulled out his phone already starting a form for damages incurred, and suppressing video he knew would be taken of any incident. Actually he knew there were people, himself included, who were already recording Clint. Darcy sounded like a dying cat but Clint had a voice like good whiskey. Rough on top but it went down smooth. “At least he’s a good singer.”

 

“What is heard of it Aye.” Thor agreed with an easy grin. Lady Darcy had many talents but singing was apparently not one of them. “Are you here to quench your thirst with an ale Son of Coul?”

 

Clint caught sight of Phil and his lips quirked up as he crooned into the plastic mic, not that it was an easy song to croon to, he did his best though.

 

Darcy giggled and shoved at his shoulder, trying to whisper but forgetting she had a mic in her hand, “Aww Clint baby, you just tell me which song you wanna sing to your cheesesteak and we’ll have ‘em put the music up.”

 

“I don’t want to sing to him.” Clint _‘whispered’_ back into his own mic. “I want to use my mouth on him in all sort of other ways that has nothing to do with singing.”

 

Phil choked on the scotch he’d ordered and turned a lovely shade of red before staring at Clint with wide eyes.

 

Darcy hissed, once more her voice amplified by her microphone, “Dummy that how you _get_ to use your mouth on him in the fun ways. You serenade him and his pants’ll probably drop of their own accord.”

 

“Tell me I am not hearing this. Tell me I am having a hallucination that Clint Barton is getting advice from a very drunk Darcy Lewis on how to get my pants off.”

 

Loki smirked, “I’m sorry, I’m afraid we cannot accommodate you in that respect. I told you that you weren’t seeing what’s under your nose.”

 

“You’ve no right to talk there,” Phil hissed at him.

 

Loki hissed right back, “ _I_ am not the blind one in that.” He looked back to the stage as Darcy finally managed to convince Barton to sing to Coulson, much to the discomfort of the other male patrons.

 

And now Clint crooned as he practically fellated his mic, eyes firmly locked on Phil the whole time.

 

Thor laughed at the performance; it looked as if Loki was having some progress in his pranks to get these two together.

 

“This is going to end in disaster,” Phil said and switched to seltzer water after he drained the single scotch. Being drunk for what was guaranteed to happen next was a bad idea.

 

“Or it could end in bliss. Though I can understand not trusting words spoken In Vino Veritas,” Loki crossed his legs and chuckled as Barton sang about wanting to lay someone, Phil, down on a bed of roses.

 

“I meant the fact that there will be a fight. Alternate sexuality is not typically the most accepted thing in small one stoplight towns.” Phil nodded at the group of scowling men in a corner. “They’ll be the ones to start it.”

 

“Then they are morons, love is great and a thing to treasure whatever form you find it in.” Thor scowled at the men in the corner. He had his fair share of tumbles in the furs with both maidens and men and he liked them both equally. “I would be happy to remove them from the alehouse if you wish it Son of Coul.”

 

“No. They’ll have their chance to not start trouble. Everyone should have a chance after all. They can stay in their corner and decide not to make a fuss but if they decide to get up and make trouble,” he shrugged as Clint finished the song and refused to admit that there was a part of him that had melted at the display and song itself, “Well they’ll learn a lesson about making snap judgments and being bigots.”

 

Clint stepped off the platform and had just started to swagger across the floor in Phil’s direction when he heard the hissed ‘faggot’.

 

“Excuse me?” Clint turned toward the voice.

 

“You heard me queer.” The man spat out.

 

“So I did yeah.” Clint agreed and rolled his shoulders before leaping at the man, kicking him of the chair.

 

“And there it goes,” Phil got up and made his way over, setting a hand on Clint’s shoulder and stepping between him and the group of men, “Why don’t we all settle down and go to our respective corners and not do this?” He was aware of the boiling drunken tempers and sighed just before another man spat out.

 

“This is our bar and we don’t want no fucking fairies!”

 

He just shifted, sensing the fist coming to make a blow, grabbed it and tossed the attack over his shoulder hard enough to dislocate the wrist, which was such a blinding pain the man would be very much out of the fight for the duration.

 

That seemed to be a signal to start the fight for real as the rest of the men at that table yelled loudly and jumped up to join in.

 

Clint let out a slightly manic cackle as he dodged punches and kicks. Even drunk off his ass he could run circles around these bozos. “You are so hot when you get dangerous.” Clint grinned and flirted with Phil as he slammed one man’s face against the wall, breaking his nose.

 

“It is almost like being home again.” Thor looked like he itched to join the brawling.

 

Loki made a hum, “It certainly does bring memories to mind. Excuse me for one moment,” he got up and moved smoothly through the crowd to where Darcy had just smacked an idiot over the head with a whiskey bottle, possibly for leering at her breasts. He scooped her up over a shoulder, “Darling, let’s leave the brawling to the less cultured shall we,” and carried her, giggling the entire time, back to his spot by Thor. He set her on the bar before sitting on the stool again to watch as something Barton said distracted Coulson enough that he took a beer glass to the cheek.

 

“Ouch, oh and double ouch,” Darcy chirped as Phil responded by kneeing the glass wielder in the balls before stringing him up by his heels from the rafters. “Man can’t blame Clint for going for him, the Cheesesteak is a sexy thing when he’s fighting.”

 

"Aye he is." Thor agreed softly as he watched the fight play out. There was always something very thrilling and attractive about watching such a controlled person crack a little and show some of the power and fire within. He still felt like joining the brawl but this was not his fight.

 

Loki’s hand tightened around his glass hearing the admiration in Thor’s voice and he had to squash the rush of jealousy. “I would say he and his archer are well matched.”

 

Darcy wound up leaning on Thor’s shoulder, tipsy as hell, “How come you always say ‘his’ archer? I mean yeah he’s his boss but Phil doesn’t own Clint.”

 

“No, indeed he does not, not in the manner you’re speaking of. But he owns Barton’s heart, has his unquestioning loyalty, his complete trust. Barton ‘belongs’ to Agent Coulson in a way because he’s given himself to him, he’s made the choice to give himself to him. And Agent Coulson has made the same choice in return. They belong to each other in the way of mates. They are each others in the right way, if that makes sense to your drink soaked senses,” he gave Darcy an amused smirk when she blew a raspberry at him.

 

And that hurt, that hurt so badly that Thor felt like he could not breathe because he finally got it. He had given himself to Loki the moment he saw the tiny blue skinned babe but he had not waited for Loki to do the same, had not even stopped to think that Loki might not want it, he had simply claimed him as his and never thought twice about it. By Yggdrasil, it made him feel like the lowest scoundrel, someone that forced himself on others and should be strung up by his balls, no wonder that Loki loathed him. "Pardon me, I need some air." He rose from his seat and hurried outside.

 

Loki made a startled sound and shot his hands out to catch Darcy before she toppled without her support, “Thor?” He was utterly confused as just leaving abruptly like that, forgetting that Darcy was leaning on him, was very much unlike Thor. For all his moments of idiocy Thor did _try_ to keep the safety and well being of those he considered his friends as his priority. Now Loki was worried about the fool but he couldn’t follow after him, not with a very drunk Darcy on his hands as a brawl raged around them. He’d have to wait until tomorrow to corner the cabbagehead.

 

Phil was getting bored and, in true competent fashion, he drew his sidearm, aimed it at the floor, and fired off a single shot. The sound had all the combatants, aside from Clint who was finishing getting someone’s head stuck in the stage’s chicken wire, freezing and looking at him wide eyed. “Enough. You’ve all hit your limit of alcohol tonight I’d say. Go home,” he used the voice that had even the most unruly agent jumping to do his bidding and in an astonishingly short amount of time the bar had emptied. Phil only took time to give the bartender, who’d hidden in the back, a small sheaf of paperwork that would have S.H.I.E.L.D. paying for the damages and covering up what had happened, before nodding at Loki carrying Darcy out and collecting Clint, who was now taunting the man Phil had hung from the rafters.

 

Clint left off taunting the man to stumble and lean toward Phil, all the grace he'd shown fighting gone, leaving behind a very tipsy man. "Stupid assholes...this was the day I was seduce you and take off your pants with my teeth." He showed off his white teeth at Phil and clung to him.

 

Thor was standing outside, leaning against the wall of the building, looking up at the stars and wondering where he would go from here. He would have to let Loki go, that much was clear but he had no idea how he was going to do it.

 

Phil let him cling as he was certain that without anger and adrenaline Clint would fall on his pert, perky ass and exited the bar. He noticed Thor in the shadows but didn’t address him, speaking to Clint, and after the damned song he was always going to be Clint in his head now, instead, “You’re assuming that I’d allow you to do so when you’re so drunk you can’t walk a straight line. This is a wrong assumption. What I will do, however, is get you back to base, drop you into bed _alone_ so you can sleep off the liquor, then provide the ibuprofen when you wake up with the mother of all hangovers.” He sighed at Clint’s pout as he propped him against the car as he unlocked it. He lifted a hand and ran fingers over Clint’s scalp softly, indulging himself with a single touch, “Clint, would you take advantage of me while I was drunk and my judgment was impaired?”

 

"No, never!" Clint blinked at Phil owlishly but his words rung clear with sincerity. He would never take advantage of Phil and he would kill anyone who tried. "I just want you to want me...Like I do you but you never even see me." Yeah, he needed to get home before his tongue ran away with him even worse than it already had.

 

“Idiot,” Phil’s voice was soft, without any bite to the word at all, “I do want you. I’ve wanted you for a very long time now. I’m simply not experienced with someone wanting me for myself and that is a conversation that will have to wait until I’m certain you’re sober enough to remember it. Because just like you would never take advantage of me, I won’t take advantage of you when you’re drunk. I will never abuse your trust in me like that. Once you’re sober enough to make critical decisions then we’ll talk because God knows I’m not stupid enough to make decisions like that on your behalf. I respect that sharp mind of yours too much to ever question what you want. Now come on, in the car and back to base before you pass out and I have to carry your heavy ass. Brazil was not fun and I have no desire to repeat that situation.”

 

He managed to get Clint into the passenger seat with the belt buckled and gave the shadows Thor was hiding in a nod as he rounded the hood of the car and got in to drive back to the base.

 

Thor waved back slightly though he doubted that the Son of Coul could see it, he could hear the archer already snoring all the way over to where he was standing. It was a lucky that the archer had someone to take care of him like that. He looked up at the stars again, they were not the same stars that he watched in the sky at home but they still looked familiar.

 

Loki had managed to get Darcy to Jane, who tucked the other woman in like a recalcitrant puppy, and back before long and now he approached Thor and leaned on the wall next to him. “And what foolishness is going through your head now, may I ask?”

 

“Nothing, you know me, thoughts are fleeting and few between.” This was not something Thor could talk to Loki about, he needed to work through his folly and his wrong behavior on his own. He had burdened his brother enough with his unwanted attention and possessiveness.

 

“Oh so now you admit that,” it was a tease with an eye roll, “Sometimes Thor you worry me.”

 

“You need not worry Loki, there is nothing to be concerned about.” Thor gave the stars one more glance before pushing off the wall and stepping forward. “We should get to Lady Jane, it is getting late.”

 

“There is _always_ something to be concerned about when it comes to you Thor.” Loki spoke in a tone that was warm. He didn’t mind worrying about Thor; it was being treated as a pet that he minded. Not that Thor had done so since the arrival on Midgard. Loki didn’t quite know what to do with the change. “But aye it is late.” He fell into step beside the blond, shoulders brushing every so often, “I like Midgard, its people and the energy of the realm; I can see why it is Odin’s favorite. And, funnily enough, it’s good to share these times here with you though you didn’t choose to come.”

 

“I enjoy Midgard too.” Thor nodded; he did like it, very much. The curiosity and drive that were a part of the people here was contagious and Thor liked it very much. “I like it here...Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much having my powers.” Of course Thor wanted his powers back, he felt like half a person without them but it seemed that this was a night for self reflection and honesty.

 

“Perhaps not. You do tend to let your power go to your head but you’re kind with it,” Loki didn’t speak in half-truths, hearing something in Thor’s tone that told him it would hurt if he did. “That kindness makes up for some of the worst cabbageheaded moments I must admit. You are a hard man to stay angry with.”

 

“I am glad you are not upset with me.” Thor liked this too, liked being able to talk to Loki, really have a conversation with him without anything else getting in the way. “I am sure though that I will give you a reason to be angry again before long.” He sent his brother a smile.

 

“Oh very likely,” Loki grinned at him in the dark, “almost certain even. Still, I like you better than anyone else even when I’m angry with you so that counts for something.”

 

“It counts for everything.” Thor’s tone was absolutely earnest. “I like you better than anyone else too.” He slung his arm around Loki just to have that closeness between them as they made their way to Lady Jane’s house.

 

Loki’s stride hitched just a bit, he covered it by pretending it was the suddenness of Thor’s arm around him, just a surprise, rather than the heart-breaking thrill of the touch. He refused to break the contact however. It might be nothing more than Thor’s usual blind affection but it _felt_ different in his mind and he wasn’t keen on losing that. So he let it remain. Morning would come with its own pitfalls soon enough to worry.

 

\-------------------------------------------

 

Phil had wound up needing to carry Barton anyway so he’d just carried him to the camper he’d been assigned instead of Clint’s tiny quarters and dropped him into the bed, gently working off the boots and removing anything, weapons and keys and what looked like a plastic chicken figure, that would make sleep uncomfortable for the younger man. Now, as sunlight peeked in through the camper’s blinds, he was working on the incident paperwork but he looked up at the groan of the dying coming from his bed.

 

“Dear sweet god kill me now.” Clint’s mouth felt like something had crawled inside it and died and his eyes were nothing but stabbing daggers of pain. “If I go touch the fucking hammer, think it will do the trick and just end my existence right now.” He managed to open his eyes and see that he wasn’t in his own bed, he looked down and was even more surprised that he wasn’t naked. “Huh?”

 

“Good morning sunshine,” with that dry comment, Phil said as he got up and got ibuprofen and a glass of water, “Think you won’t throw the pills up or will you need to vomit beforehand?”

 

“Give me a sec and I’ll check.” Clint hid his surprise at being in Phil’s bed, it wasn’t exactly how he wanted to wake up in Phil’s bed but he would take what he got. He took inventory of his body and though his stomach was rolling he didn’t feel the instant urge to puke. “I think we’re safe for now Sir. If you have some coffee to follow those pills I might just have to get on my knees...when I can move that is and worship you the way you deserve.”

 

“Water. You’ll hydrate first,” he handed Clint the pills and the glass of water, “and then I’ll give you coffee once I’m sure it won’t come back up.” He sat on the edge of the bed to watch Clint take the pills and chug the water.

 

Clint paused to check if the pills would make a swift return but when it seemed safe he turned his attention back to Phil and the bruise blooming across his cheekbone. He reached out and touched it with the pad of his thumb, being as gentle as he could be. “That damned asshole, should have made him swallow his balls for slamming that glass into your face.”

 

“I’m impressed you remember anything after three of your favorite shooters,” Phil let his lips curve up a bit, “How much do you remember?”

 

“Bits and pieces.” Clint groaned and whimpered as he attempted to move his body into a sitting position. “Honestly, most of the evening is a purple nurple’d haze but I remember Darcy, remember singing and propositioning you by offering to lick you all over and then I remember the asshats.”

 

Phil reached out and pressed Clint down again with a gentle hand, “Wait for the ibuprofen to kick in,” he left his hand on Clint’s chest, just a warm presence, “You also mentioned taking my pants off with your teeth while cursing the bigoted fools.”

 

Clint’s ears may or may not have turned a vivid shade of red at that. “Perhaps that particular scenario had been a prime time feature in my wet dreams for the last year or two.” There was no way to stuff the cat into the bag now and frankly Clint didn’t want that. He was so in love with Agent Phil Coulson that he could barely see straight.

 

“Only the last year or two?” It was a quiet murmur in deference to the pounding headache he knew Clint was suffering at the moment, “Hmm I’d say I’m ahead.”

 

“We’ll see about that, only the teeth thing was the last year or two...I might have been head over heels for you for much longer much to Tasha’s everlasting amusement...” Clint trailed off and turned to look at Phil with very wide, very vulnerable eyes. “Wait...you mean you feel something too?”

 

“Do you remember Malta?” Phil slid his hand up so that his fingers were resting on the skin of Clint’s collarbone.

 

“Ah, do I remember Malta? The rain? The mud? The fourteen hostiles I had to get through in order to take the mark out or getting shot, puncturing my left lung? Yeah, I have vague memories of Malta.” Clint kept his eyes on Phil. “You mean you’ve felt something since then? That was one of our first missions together.”

 

“I saw you, slicing through fourteen hardened mercenaries while injured like they were hardly anything to worry about, then perching on the edge of that roof, bleeding, drawing your bow and holding still, holding a perfect form until you had the shot and I thought ‘My God he’s beautiful.’ And this was after two missions you managed to make me laugh over the coms with your smart mouth, do you _know_ how long it had been since anyone had made me laugh?”

 

“You should laugh every day, you have the most beautiful laughter in the world.” Clint didn’t care about his hangover or how much it hurt, he needed to have his arms around Phil and he needed it now. He surged up and wrapped his arms tightly around Phil’s neck. “You are so much better than I could ever hope to deserve but if you let me I will do my best to make you laugh every fucking day for the rest of our lives.”

 

“I’m going to have to argue with you about what you deserve at a later date but for now,” Phil’s hand cradled the back of Clint’s head, his other hand going to rest in the small of his back, and he pressed his mouth to Barton’s in a simple kiss. Just lips, that’s all it was, just lips but the contact rocked him down to his foundation.

 

“Fuck, I don’t give a shit if it is too early or some other crap like that.” Clint held on to Phil tightly, brushing his lips over Phil’s again and again. “I fucking love you, I love you with every beat of my heart and every breath in my body....and to hell with anyone who doesn’t agree.” Not a very poetic love declaration but it was a heartfelt one.

 

“It’s only too early,” Phil kissed him again, “If it’s not mutual,” and again, “Malta was where I wanted you first, where you were so damned gorgeous you took my breath away,” another kiss, “Nairobi was when it slapped me in the face that I’d fallen in love with your reckless ass and that if you died on me I was going to be useless for anything but suicide missions ever again.”

 

“Fuck no, no such things for you.” Clint grabbed him by the neck and looked right into those lovely eyes. “I need you in my ear Sir, talking me through whatever dumbass move I am about to do next. I need you with me Phil, for as long as you’ll have me.”

 

“Keep that in mind the next time you think about jumping off a hotel roof without any plan or back up. Remember that losing you would destroy me,” he swiped his thumb over the corner of Clint’s mouth, “Because now that I know you want me as much as I want you, and I do mean in every way not just sex, I have plans that I fully intend to see realized. Up to and including porch rockers and yelling at young punks when we’re gray, wrinkled, and semi-retired.”

 

“I approve of those plans.” Clint smiled and leaned in for another kiss. “I approve greatly. And know that losing you would destroy me as well. Not to mention that Natasha would resurrect you only to kick your ass for making me follow you to wherever you might be going.”

 

“You realize, as the Director is my oldest and best friend, that means he’ll do the same if the positions are reversed,” before Clint could say anything he sealed his mouth over the archer’s in a slower, hotter kiss, this time using teeth to scrape over a plush bottom lip and sucking on it lightly.

 

“If you weren’t such an amazing kisser my testicles would whimper and crawl back inside my body at the mentioning of old one eye.” Clint shuddered even as he pressed closer to Phil, clinging to him, “New rule, no mentioning of Fury when we are getting our dirty selves on.”

 

“Works for me,” Phil’s hands smoothed down Clint’s back, coming to rest just above his ass as he gave him another kiss, once more deeper. Lips and teeth and tongue even as he leaned, pressing Clint down slowly as he explored his mouth thoroughly.

 

“Well. This does explain why Clint’s quarters are empty.”

 

“I love you Tasha, I do but go away before I have to hurt you, or whine to you about my blue balls because you ruined my moment here.” Clint still clung to Phil, refusing to let go even though the older man had stiffened at the sound of Natasha’s voice.

 

“Oh don’t let me interrupt,” she purred, an edge in her voice.

 

Phil sighed and managed to slip out of Clint’s hold with a whispered promise of ‘later’ before he moved back to his paperwork and laptop, “Did you manage to refrain from killing Stark?”

 

She stepped fully into the camper, tossing her go bag into a corner and heading for the small mini fridge Coulson rated, pulling out the bottle of vodka in it, “I would have had to get in line and you know I hate waiting.” She drank straight from the bottle, “He is a pain in the _ass_.”

 

“Oh...you _like_ him.” Clint chuckled and and rose up again. He couldn’t even be properly upset because he’d really missed Natasha like a missing limb. “If you didn’t you would have kicked his ass and left him for dead long ago, waiting or no waiting.”

 

“Why would I like him? He’s an asshole with a death wish...oh wait,” she gave Clint a look over the top of the bottle, “perhaps there’s a theme.” She sat down in the ratty, ugly sixties era orange recliner in the corner, “The man has no sense of self-preservation and is determined to kill himself trying to make up for past mistakes...then there’s his relationship with Potts, the unattainable who’s temporarily allowed herself to be attained a la Mockingbird. I do not need two of you in my life.” She pointed at Clint.

 

“Oh I agree, one of me is quite enough and I would be terribly jealous of anyone even trying to steal my spot in that huge heart of yours.” Clint smirked because yes, Tasha definitely liked Stark and from the sound of it Clint would like him too if they ever happened to meet.

 

“No.” Phil’s tone was firm and he was aware of Natasha giving him a knowing gaze.

 

“No what?” Clint barely refrained from climbing into his lap. “What are you grumpy about oh sexy one?”

 

“You are never going to be within fifty _miles_ of Stark. Ever.”

 

Natasha smirked, “It will be very difficult to enforce that if they ever find the right leader for Fury’s Folly. He’s lied to Stark about it but Iron Man is in.”

 

“Fury’s folly? Tell me more, tell me more, like does he have a car uh huh?” Clint crawled out of bed and went to drape himself all over Natasha. “You mean his group of freaks called heroes, Fury’s own private little hard on? Who could lead a bunch of egotists? Is there anyone that you would follow oh gorgeous redheaded one?”

 

Phil cursed. He’d forgotten to tell Clint that he was on the team as well. “They’re looking. But there’s no telling who they might find to lead you.”

 

Natasha smirked, “I know four who are tapped to join the Initiative, or will be rather. Myself, Banner, Stark, and you yastreb,” she toasted Clint with the vodka bottle. “As for the leader, I’d follow Coulson but I sincerely doubt Fury would let his good eye be that far on the front lines.”

 

“I am part of this little weirdo convention? Noooo thank you.” Clint was still clinging to Natasha, breathing in her familiar scent. “I go where Phil goes and fuck anyone who tries to make it differently.” He squeezed Natasha’s shoulders. Gods he loved her, not sexually because...ewww but he loved her so very much and he would never be able to function properly without her in his life. “Oh...have Phil here told you about the gods we have here?”

 

“Coulson is tapped to be the Liaison for the ‘weirdo convention’ and so if you refuse,” she smiled, “You would be assigned a different handler,” she ignored Phil’s muttering about when hell freezes over, “And no. What gods are you referring to?”

 

“They _claim_ to be Thor and Loki,” Phil said, “and the latter has certainly done his utmost best to live up to the image.”

 

“Well the dark and creepy one is certainly annoying enough to be the god of mischief.” Clint nibbled at Natasha’s ear, grunting when she elbowed him for it. “He filled my quarters and belongings with pink rubber dicks...even my arrows. And Thor, well he is huge and blond and gorgeous if you go for the whole muscle thing.”

 

Natasha wiped his spit from her ear, lips twitching, “Pink dildos?”

 

Phil’s own lips twitched, “The ones in the quiver lit up when shaken. Clint was very agitated about it.”

 

Natasha laughed, husky and low as she envisioned what that had to have looked like.

 

“Oh fuck the both of you.” Clint stepped away from Natasha. “Imagine what you had felt like if your widow bites had been exchanged for silicone cocks. Would you be happy?” Clint was not blushing, absolutely, positively not.

 

“You know the answer to that,” she lifted a brow in warning, “but I would also have enough presence of mind not to make a spectacle of myself complaining about it.”

 

“You’d go directly to homicide,” he lifted a brow, having just been sent Widow’s report, “Twenty-nine Hammer security guards Natasha?”

 

“Twenty-eight, Stark’s driver decided to try and take one on.”

 

“Tried? Doesn’t that make it twenty-nine for you anyway Tasha my love, my darling?” Clint moved back to where Clint was, giving into the urge to plop himself into the older man’s lap.

 

“Oh he did take him out. It simply took the entire time I was dealing with the rest, hence try,” she watched Clint slink into Coulson’s lap.

 

“Clint, I’m trying to get the paperwork and other files out of the way before we head into town,” he might have voiced that protest but the hand not holding his pen went to the small of Clint’s back. “And of course Stark nearly got blown up...again.”

 

“But I just got you...do you really want me to leave you alone?” And there were the puppy eyes as Clint looked at Phil. “I am not stopping you from any paperwork, I just want to be close to you before I grab my lethal Tasha to go check on Darcy, to make sure she made it out of yesterday’s brawl safe and sound and to make sure she never ever attempts to sing in public again.”

 

“The world would thank you for the last bit,” his thumb rubbed up and down slowly, “Those do not work on me by the way but so long as you’re in my lap, you will be acting as my other hand.”

 

“Who is Darcy?” Natasha queried intrigued by Coulson’s hidden grimace.

 

“An awesome, incredible woman. You will like her, promise.” Clint turned and pressed his lips against Phil for an earnest kiss before he stood once again. “Buy me the greasiest breakfast available and and I’ll tell you all about her and the gods before we go to see them.” He linked his arm with Natasha’s.

 

Natasha set the bottle down, “Only if you shower first. You smell like you rolled around in something dead and covered in beer.”

 

“Bar brawl.” Phil was still feeling the kiss.

 

“Tsk without me?”

 

“You were busy smooching up to Tony Stark, this is what you get for leaving us alone.” Clint pressed a very loud, very wet kiss to her cheek. “Okay, I’ll go shower, don’t be too drunk when I get out of it. Phil, watch her vodka.” Clint still got a secret thrill of saying Coulson’s first name out loud.

 

“When have you ever seen Natasha drunk when she has something else to do?” He gave them both an amused look, “Remember, no shooting Loki unless he hurts someone physically Clint.”

 

“Boo, not even an arrow to the ass? You are no fun Phil.” Clint pouted even as he started to strip right where he was, pulling off his shirt and unbuttoning his pants. “You don’t mind me using your shower do you Phil?” Clint licked his lips as he shimmied his pants down his thighs.

 

Natasha watched Coulson fumble with his pen and heard the too soft sound of want that escaped the man’s iron control.

 

“Of-” he cleared his throat when the first word came out rough, “Of course not. I believe I also have some clothes you can borrow so you don’t have to walk naked through the base. That would be bad for everyone.”

 

“Thinking the baby agents would go blind?” Natasha teased.

 

“No, that I’d have to kill everyone else who saw him naked.”

 

"As hot as that would be, there is no need for it. Like I told Darcy, only special people...or one man in particular gets to nibble...and ogle this perfection." Clint motioned toward his body and stalked to the tiny bathroom and even tinier shower to get cleaned up. There was something very intimate about using Phil's soap and shampoo. Clint liked it.

 

Phil got up and dug through the tiny dresser in the camper, twitching when he saw the casual clothes Jasper had packed in there for him. He was going to get the little bastard reassigned to Antarctica one day. The jeans were a little ripped up and the t-shirt would cling to him, on Clint it would be like a second skin over the chest and upper arms, to say nothing of the graphic emblazoned on it. He called out, “Boxer-briefs or regular boxers?”

 

"Boxer-briefs." Clint called back as he dried himself off with one of Phil's towels before he wrapped another one around his waist and walked out of the bathroom to face Phil and Natasha again. "Boxers get really uncomfortable if I have to get into my gear, they bunch up under my leather pants." He grinned brightly and rubbed the towel in his hands over his hair. His grinned turned into a loud bark of laughter when he saw the t-shirt. "Agents do it under covers huh?"

 

“Blame Sitwell, he gave me that two years ago as a joke and always sees to it that it gets into the casual wear I get sent. I’ve had to wear it now and again for a few meets but I prefer my t-shirts bearing less innuendo.” The jeans were utterly his however, ones he’d had since he was eighteen, well loved and often worn for the memories.

 

Natasha murmured as she inspected the clothes and Phil drew out a pair of black boxer briefs, “I’m more curious about the patch on the back pocket of those jeans,” it was faded, the red more pink by now, the blue washed out, and the white had yellowed with many washings and dirty fights, but it was still recognizable as Captain America’s shield.

 

“ _That_ is a story you’ll never learn.” Phil went back to sit down at his work.

 

"Oh ho ho, I take that as a challenge." Clint grinned and reached for the underwear, pulling them on beneath the towel and then dropping it. He had never been very modest and okay he might just want to tease Phil a little, give him a taste of what was all his as soon as he wanted it. The jeans were a tight fit, hugging his thighs and ass like a second skin but they were soft and comfy. "I will find some way of getting that story out of you someday." Clint pulled the shirt over his head, still giggling a little at the words on the chest of it.

 

“I said Natasha would never learn it. The possibility of you hearing it is negotiable,” Phil’s gaze was firmly, helplessly fixed on Clint in the slightly too small clothes and sweet Jesus the man’s ass looked amazing in his favorite jeans.

 

“Okay then, all is well if that is the case. I look forward to the negotiations.” And because deep down Clint was just a little shit he turned so he was facing away from Phil before bending over to put on his own boots, showcasing that pert, perky behind.

 

Phil’s pen snapped in his fingers, not that he really noticed, “You realize that I will be gettng even later don’t you Clint?” His voice was a little husky and he could feel the amusement coming off of Natasha in waves.

 

“I’m counting on it Sir.” Clint tied his shoelaces and straightened back up, already plotting how he could get Phil into these jeans, he wanted to see them on their proper owner. “I should probably go check on Darcy, if I feel like this, I can only imagine how she’s feeling today.”

 

\------------------------

 

Not good. That was the simple answer. Like something had crawled into the back of her throat and died but before it did it had beaten her up and cracked her head open like an egg and now there were little bastards with ice picks jabbing at the exposed brain matter, shut _up_ about the brain not technically being able to feel pain as it has no pain nerve receptors Jane, was the more detailed explanation. She rolled over and whimpered into her pillow, “Someone shut off the sun or just leave me alone to die.”

 

“Sorry, no dying to today.” Jane spoke softly as she walked over to Darcy’s bed with pills and a large bottle of water. “Got pills here and there’s a wastebasket next to the bed if you’re feeling sick.” Jane cared for Darcy, she was like a little sister, definitely more than assistent. Darcy was her best friend and she wanted to do what she could to make the younger woman feel better.

 

Darcy flopped a hand out and took the pills, dry swallowing them because any liquid and she was sure the greasy pitching of her stomach would turn into an immediate need for the wastebasket. “Thanks.” She buried her head back under the pillow to block out the light as a scratching came at the door, soft and light thank God.

 

Clint pushed the door open quietly and nodded to Jane as she left and he entered. He snuck across the floor on silent feet and laid down next to the blanket burrito already in the bed. He had left Natasha out in the kitchen with Loki and Thor and he couldn’t wait to hear what she thought about the two of them. “So, how’s my singing partner doing this awfully, terribly sunny day?”

 

“I hate New Mexico,” she whimpered, “It’s dry, sand gets everywhere, every building has _windows_ and it’s too sunny for a hangover. You sound way too chipper for a dude who sucked down three Nurples last night. If your secret agenty-ness gives you some kind of immunity I am honor bound to kill you. Unless you’re chipper cause you got laid, then you’re pardoned and I expect details after I feel human again.”

 

“Well,” Loki’s voice purred softly as he stepped silently into the room, nodding at Jane, “I believe I have something that should help with the last piece.” He swept the archer with a look and grinned knowingly.

 

“Shut up or I’ll let Natasha lose on you.” Clint grumped but there weren’t any real bite to his words. He was much too happy to be able to be venomous even to Loki. He had an agent to debauch at his earliest convenience and nothing could lower his mood knowing that.

 

“You do have a fascinating friend. I believe she would like to gut me where I stand,” Loki crouched beside Darcy’s bed and waved a hand to black out the windows, leaving only a soft glow of a bedside lamp as she peeked out, wary eye out at him and the cup he held.

 

“I’ll hork all over your boots if I drink whatever you brought.” She pouted miserably.

 

“I can promise you that you will not, and even if you did, I can easily clean them.” He tugged the blanket down and moved the pillow off her head so she could get at the straw in the mug. “It _will_ make you feel better Lady Darcy.”

 

“Didja mojo it or something?”

 

“There’s a little magic to speed the effects but mostly it’s made of herbs and fruit that are very mundane in origin,” he smiled as she weighed the possible consequences then drank from the straw.

 

Her eyes went wide and she paused, “Hey this is _good_. Hangover cures never taste good.”

 

“Perhaps yours do not, mine however do.”

 

“I suppose you have to have some use other than being the most annoying bastard in the world...s.” Clint was happy to see Darcy get a little color back in her cheeks. “Oh and if Natasha wanted to gut you where you stood, you would be gutted, godly powers or not. What’s she doing now with blond ‘n buff? You are aware that she can leave him traumatized for life in less than three seconds right?”

 

Loki laughed, a low, rolling sound as darcy sat up and chugged the remainder of the drink, “You greatly underestimate Thor and our culture. He grew from leggy youth to as he is now alongside the Warrior Lady Sif. Your shieldsister may be more subtle but I assure you, Sif is equally deadly. Also she was looking at Thor in much the same way Darcy looks at images of kittens with a film of bafflement atop it.”

 

Clint had to snort at that because Darcy when she looked at Kitty pics was priceless. “Okay though I think Thor would be more of a puppy than a kitten.” He rolled out of the bed, still clad in his borrowed clothes, he was not taking them off in a hurry. “I’ll go check that expression out I think.”

 

Darcy tilted her head and got up, “Ah, okay yes. Head’s better. I’m gonna take a shower, shoo,” she waved a hand at Loki, who chuckled.

 

“I will go see what mischief I can find in town in that case,” he stood and walked out casually, passing the redhead who was still looking at Thor as if trying to discover how and why she found him adorable on his way out.

 

Natasha really was actually wondering why she found the massive blond...cute. She never found anyone cute, except Clint when he felt safe enough to be groggy.

 

Thor was beginning to get slightly unnerved by the way the archer’s companion kept looking at him. He was standing at the stove, frying sausages for breakfast. “Are you hungry Lady Natasha? I could make you some food to break the fast if you wish it.”

 

“I could have some dogs.” Clint walked back in the kitchen and sat down at the table.

 

“I am not cooking dog.” Thor was becoming even more confused. “You eat your pets here?”

 

Natasha shook her head and sat down next to Clint, “No. Link sausage like that,” she nodded at the pan, “are sometimes called hot dogs. There are conflicting theories on how the name for them came about.”

 

“I see.” Thor really didn’t but he could pretend, he found that was the easiest thing because whenever someone tried to explain things more thoroughly to him he nearly had a meltdown. “There is plenty of food and I will soon get started on the eggs so you are welcome to join me for a meal.”

 

Jane shook her head, amused that Thor was inviting people into her house to eat her food. She was glad he was beginning to feel more at home though and he had taken a great loving to her stove and cooking on it, with mixed results. “Yes, please stay now that you’ve come all the way here.” She reached her hand out to the redheaded woman who was so gorgeous, Jane felt like the smallest brown mouse next to her. “Jane Foster, welcome to my base slash home.”

 

“Natasha Romanov, thank you for allowing us to interrupt your morning,” she shook the scientist’s hand, studying the woman with her usual sharp regard, “From what I understand, S.H.I.E.L.D. is hoping to add you to the scientific division.”

 

“No work talk before breakfast!” Darcy came swanning in, hair still damp, a towel draped over her shoulders, in shorts and a tank top with the phrase ‘I know what you’re thinking, wanna guess the caliber of the gun I’m packing?’ emblazoned across her impressive chest, “Or at the breakfast table. Clint baby, who’s the pretty?” She went to the coffee maker.

 

“This my Darcy doll, is my better half, the yang to my yin and the danger to my stranger, Natasha.” Clint grinned. “My platonic life companion.”

 

Jane walked to set out plates for all of them, even Erik though it seemed as if the good doctor was still sleeping or at least holed up in his room.

 

“Ooooh,” Darcy brought her cup to the table and peered at Natasha in avid curiosity, “You are teeny tiny and I bet you could have Thor on the ground crying like a baby in five seconds or less, no offense big guy,” she beamed at Thor, “You’re awesome total but Clint’s Little Red has asskicker of epicness written all over her.”

 

Natasha blinked slowly once then found herself unable to stop a charmed smile from curving her lips.

 

“No offense taken, I believe you taught me something about size not mattering.” Thor brought the pan to the table and began to hand out sausages and eggs.

 

“Natasha, meet Darcy Lewis. Spitfire and awesomeness all around, all bound in this gorgeous package that you see before you.” Clint grinned.

 

“And capable of making Coulson look as though Fury told him to go back to Budapest,” Natasha said with an intrigued head tilt and then smiled, “You’ve made such interesting new friends malen'kiy yastreb.”

 

“Little hawk?” Darcy asked, none of them having heard Clint’s callsign before, and found two pairs of blue eyes looking at her in surprise, “What?”

 

“You know Russian?” Natasha asked.

 

“And Spanish, and Cajun French, and German, and a little Japanese.” Darcy said off-handedly, sipping at her coffee, “I get bored, I get Rosetta Stone.”

 

Clint was aware that his jaw had dropped but he couldn’t pick it up. He’d known that Darcy was clever but not this clever. Suddenly he wondered what she was doing working for Jane Foster. As sweet as Jane was, with such skill Darcy could have gotten any job she wanted to get the credit she was looking for. “Cool.”

 

Natasha’s gaze was speculative as Darcy just shrugged and brushed it off, speculative and full of plans already. “Clint’s callsign is Hawkeye, due to his impeccable aim. There is not a target he can not hit.”

 

“I would say stop, you flatter me but meh...it’s the truth. I am the best.” Clint winked at Darcy and ignored the scoffing sound that came from Dr. Selvig as the older man emerged from his room and went straight for the coffee. If that man didn’t give it a rest soon then Clint would do something that would have Phil frowning at him in disapproval.

 

Darcy cut an irritated look over her shoulder at him before giving her attention back to Natasha, “Yeah? What’s the hardest target you’ve seen him hit? That you can talk about anyway, cause super-duper secret boy band agency and all that...what’d I say?” She asked when Natasha gave a throaty, delighted laugh.

 

“Nothing but you are never meeting Stark, Coulson’s sanity wouldn’t stand for it.” Natasha chuckled.

 

“Stark? As in Tony, sexy hot rod armor, and oh my God that ass needs to be cast in bronze and preserved for eternity, Iron Man Stark?”

 

“That would be the one yeah, one and only.” Clint looked extremely amused. “You’re right Tasha, they should never meet, though it would be sight to see and a snark fest to hear.” Clint had never met Tony Stark in person but he saw what the man did to Phil whenever Phil went to meet him.

 

“Phil doesn’t like him?” Darcy was fascinated.

 

“He’s...frustrating and self-destructive.” Natasha said, her own time with Stark still itching under her skin.

 

“Well he would be wouldn’t he? I mean I’ve heard all kinds of things at the college and from a few buddies of mine who’re...um we’ll call them data analysts,” Darcy scooted her mug around in a small circle, “and it kinda sounds like no one’s ever proven to him that he’s worth anything but his money, fame, really shiny tech, and what he can give them. Would _you_ wanna keep your ass out of the sling if you were in that boat?”

 

When Darcy put it like that then it was like Clint saw Tony Stark in a new light. He wondered what Natasha who actually knew the man thought. “True, guess we can never know what is going inside someone.”

 

Thor focused on his meal, he was lost in this conversation and he had no idea who the person they talked about were. “It is always difficult to be born into a role, to be what is expected of you, no matter who you are.” He shrugged and speared another sausage on his fork.

 

Natasha hummed, Darcy had just given her something to chew on, and made her wonder if Stark thought he was buying Pepper’s affection as well.

 

Darcy however nibbled on her eggs, “You can know what’s going on if you ask the right questions and listen to the answers the right way. So, target, hardest one,” she poked Clint in the arm, “and then Thor can tell us one of his favorite exploits.”

 

Clint shook off the somber mood, Darcy’s words had created and grinned broadly, leaning his elbows on the table and feeling his borrowed t-shirt stretch across his shoulders and back. “Okay then, get ready to have your mind blown.” He set out to tell her about what in his mind was his toughest target, embellishing the story purely for entertainment value.

 

Loki returned to see the group around the table just as Clint’s tale was finishing up and darcy was giggling. He listened for a moment aware that the archer was keeping it light about a shot that would have been dark in tone had he lingered on the mission and not the details of making the shot but the details made it entertaining without being morbid. He strode to the stove and continued to listen while he brewed some tea for himself, waving at Darcy when she blew him a kiss.

 

“So from two buildings away, dangling from my fucking feet I still managed to take the target out with a single shot.” Clint finished up and took a sip of his orange juice.

 

“And still you can’t seem to find clothes in your own size.” Erik raised a brow and shook out the paper, making a show of concentrating on what was new in the world.

 

Thor smiled at his brother, worried about the sense of calm and rightness that he felt the moment Loki walked through the door, he had to stop thinking like that, if he didn’t then he would never be able to let Loki go.

 

Natasha turned her head slowly to stare at Selvig before speaking softly, in a tone she knew Clint would recognize as dangerous, “Is there a _problem_ Dr. Selvig?”

 

Loki turned from the stove at the woman’s question to watch this play out. He’d been expecting someone to snap when it came to the man’s blatant disrespect of Barton sooner or later. It appeared as though that was about to happen.

 

“What problem would that be?” Selvig looked up over the edge of the paper. “I feel very secure and comfortable that our nation’s security lies in the hands of people like Barton.”

 

Even Thor narrowed his eyes, hearing the insincerity in Erik’s voice.

 

“Actually it’s global security and,” Natasha queried, “what ‘people like Barton’?”

 

Darcy’s eyes went wide and she scooted over so that she could lean on Clint’s arm both to keep him from interrupting and to give him support. Erik needed a kick in the butt and Clint’s Little Red was just the person to give it to him.

 

“Just let it go Tasha.” Clint was used to it, to people seeing him and making assumptions. He stroked Darcy’s hair, aware that she was trying to keep him from interrupting.

 

Erik pretended that he hadn’t heard Clint speak. “I mean people with simply one skill and so full of themselves because of that very limited talent. People living on the taxpayers money and seeing nothing wrong with it. I doubt he’s even finished school. From the way he’s behaving it looks like he was raised by either wolves or clowns.”

 

Clint stiffened because ouch, that hit way too close to home for him to simply shrug it off.

 

Even Loki was glaring at the man now, as a matter of fact he noticed that _Jane_ was as well, and Loki had to clench his hands to keep from flaying the man himself. He enjoyed driving Barton insane yes but that was because his reactions when frustrated were entertaining, he liked the archer and had no wish to see him hurt however.

 

Darcy wrapped her arms around Clint’s waist, giving him a hug and glaring at Erik for all she was worth.

 

“One skill?” Natasha said with a purr in her voice, “You refer to his marksmanship? Have you any idea what someone has to know in order to hit a target at distance? Wind speeds, trajectories, how they’ll affect a projectile, the force needed to be applied to send a projectile, an arrow, the correct distance? Then there’s undercover work, could you blend in with the crowd in any country of the world and not draw so much as a curious look? His martial abilities are good enough that he can take down the deadliest armed assassin in the world without a weapon. He outshines the best stunt drivers, flies the most advanced stealth jets in the world, has _seen_ more than you’ve even dreamt about, good and bad and what you might try and claim as mythical. And you think he’s hosing taxpayers? He risks his life regularly to keep _people like you_ ,” it was drawn out in disgust, “safe from the horrors in the world and you look down on him because you need someone to have a fancy degree before they’re worth something to you?”

 

Darcy’s own voice piped in, an accent creeping into it, pure pissed off southern woman, “And let me remind you Erik that _I_ grew up on foodstamps and government healthcare, that I made it into college by the skin of my teeth and a scholarship that almost went to another person. I’ve made it by luck and hard work and you wouldn’t last a damned _day_ outside of your ivory tower.”

 

“You are most narrow of mind Erik Selvig.” Thor was disappointed. “Where you come from has no impact on who you are. I had the best tutors my parents could get me and my friends who grew up down in the village will always be much cleverer than I anyway. I applaud them for it, rely on them to steer me right when I need it.”

 

Erik didn’t say anything but he was red in the face, whether it was from embarrassment or anger was anyone’s guess.

 

Jane decided right then and there that she would accept S.H.I.E.L.D’s offer. She loved Erik, he had been like an extra father to her since her dad died but she couldn’t stand the way he was behaving here and frankly, she would rather work with people like Barton and Romanov then with Erik.

 

Loki was proud of Thor, though he’d always known Thor held his friends’ minds in high regard, still he was proud because once, Thor would have let his hammer or fists do the talking. He took his tea to the table and sat, “I could, if either Agent Barton or Darcy ask, give you a taste, a very small taste, of that which you so quickly, and ignorantly look down upon. However considering your lacking strength of mind it might very well break you down.”

 

“Keep out of my mind.” Erik rose from where he sat and stalked back to the room he was staying in. It was probably time for him to return to his own research though he was still put out that S.H.I.E.L.D didn’t want him to work for them.

 

“Fun times.” Clint hugged Darcy back. “I should get back to base.”

 

“Wait,” Jane looked at him. “Tell your agent that I will come work for you please.”

 

Darcy gave Clint’s cheek a smacking kiss, “You’ll have to tell me who I can irritate and who I should avoid at all costs. I’d pass the info on to Lo but he’d just ignore me and mess anyway.”

 

Loki chuckled, “Very true, I would. I doubt there is anyone I’ve never dared to tweak the temper of.”

 

“That,” Natasha swept a flat look over him, “does not surprise me.” There was something about this man that had the hair raising on the back of her neck and his threat to Selvig, though inspired and appreciated, did nothing to end that feeling.

 

“Come now Agent Romanov, I’m generally harmless. No need to worry for yourself or your hawk.”

 

"You choose to be harmless, settle for being a royal pain in the ass and I suppose we should thank the fates for small favors." Clint got up from his seat, pressing a kiss to the top of Darcy's head. A gleam entered his eyes and he looked up at Loki. “So if you really are Loki of Asgard...is it true that you bumped uglies with a horse as well as a giantess?"

 

Thor choked and spewed his eggs all over the table.

 

The sounds that came out of Loki’s mouth then definitely held the flavor and tone of truly vicious curses in his native language and his eyes flashed green fire, “I am going to _kill_ that lying little sack of bilgesnipe dung when next I see him I swear by Odin’s beard. How can that _still_ be in Midgardian mythology?” He leveled an irritated gaze on Clint, “No, to both, those were both Freyer and his way of trying to embarrass me by claiming to be me. Your Vikings named him the god of love because he would sleep with _anything_. I am far more discerning.” Technically he was a virgin but that was not anything he was interested in sharing. Ever.

 

Darcy propped her chin on her hand, “So there’s no Sleipnir or Fenrir?”

 

“There are but neither are my offspring. I have no offspring,” Loki sipped at his tea, making plans to deal with Freyer at their next meeting.

 

Natasha actually felt better at Loki’s brief display of temper. It proved that he was capable of being shoved off balance, which made it possible for someone like her to gain an upper hand should she ever need to.

 

Clint's grin could only be described as shiteating, oh he felt so much better now after having gotten that little snipe in. He might even be in a mood to forgive Loki for the dildos...perhaps...possibly...not likely but still, the sky was blue, he had managed to get Loki to lose his temper and he had one sexy agent to run his tongue all over. Yeah, things could definitely be worse. "I'll let Agent Coulson know Dr. Foster but you should give him a call all the same, I think the two of you will have a lot to talk about and work through." He waved at them. "Laterz."

 

Natasha followed him and gave Darcy and Jane both a nod, “Pleased to have met you.”

 

“Likewise, don’t be a stranger Red,” Darcy grinned and lifted her coffee in salute and watched them go before turning to Jane, “So...we’re gonna be S.H.I.E.L.D. monkeys?”

 

Jane hummed and ran her tongue over her teeth. "We can be S.H.I.E.L.D monkeys, perform brilliant research and do what we love or we can join the unemployment line or work as glorified maids for Erik." She picked up her juice glass and looked at Darcy. "You don't have to come with though if you don't want to. I don't want to keep you from doing anything that you want to do with your life."

 

“Hmm, well despite the whole Hotel California feel I think is floating around it, no where else I really actually want to be. I’m not an astrophysics-y person but someone needs to keep you healthy and stuff when you’re buried so deep you can see the other side of the universe.”

 

"I don't actually need a keeper." Jane smiled softly, some forgotten meals and forgotten sleep wasn't the end of the world. "That aside though, there is no one else I'd rather have with me than you."

 

“Good, cause you’re not getting rid of me. And if you ever tried you’d soon find yourself with a Darcy growth on your side.” Darcy poked at her eggs, scowling, “No one is allowed to push me away because they think that’s what’s best for me, like ever. Not allowed.”

 

Loki lifted his head from his tea and studied her at that mutter. There was a great deal more to Darcy than met the eye and he had a feeling she had a few demons in her past that dogged it. “Jane would not do that to you, she respects your intelligence and right to make your own decisions far too much.”

 

Darcy gave him a half-smile, looking up from her eggs, “Yeah I know, can’t help worrying anyway sometimes.” she looked back at Jane, “Totally not a comment on you, just my issues popping up suddenly.”

 

Jane rose and walked around the table so that she could pull the younger woman into a hug. "We all have issues and if they have to pop out, what better place than in the company of friends where it is safe and understood?" She raked her fingers through Darcy's curls.

 

Thor was having another crisis of mind, from what he heard and from what people around him were saying, he was an awful being. It was rough to realize how horrible he was.

 

Darcy returned the hug, burying her smile against Jane’s shoulder, “No place better.” She he;d for a few minutes then pulled back to finish her eggs, “By the way big guy, thanks for making breakfast. Sorry if we all kinda talked around you.”

 

"It was no trouble Lady Darcy, I was already cooking to break fast and to have company only makes food taste better. And it is not a hard fest to 'talk around me' when I know so little about the ongoings of the worlds around me." Thor pushed his plate aside, three sausages still uneaten resting on it. "Pardon me, I believe I shall venture out and stretch my legs a little."

 

Loki’s gaze rested on the uneaten sausage with worry as Thor left. Thor never left food uneaten, _never_.

 

“Oh no, did I hurt his feelings?” Darcy looked at Loki.

 

He shook his head, “Nay I think not. He has been in a mood since last night. I do not know what is rattling about in his head but tis naught to do with you.” He smoothed his hair back, “I will let him sort through his thoughts for the time being. Perhaps he will work it out on his own.” If not then Loki didn’t know what he could do for Thor and that...was distasteful.

 

Jane hummed and sat down next to Darcy. Something was clearly troubling Thor, she didn’t know the man very well but she could see that he had something on his mind. “It can’t be easy, being in a totally different world, it could mess with anyone’s mind I suppose.”

 

“That plus he’s pretty much sure he can’t go back home,” Darcy mused, “but I dunno if that’s all it is. He was looking like a kicked puppy.”

 

Loki’s lips twitched, “It is a talent of his and never fails to make one wish to soothe him however they can. Were he anyone else he would take advantage of that but Thor has always been too kind, tempestuous but very kind.” He was looking into his tea, a soft smile on his face, unaware of the staggeringly deep love in his tone.

 

Oh, so that was how it was. Suddenly everything made much more sense to Jane. She exchanged a look with Darcy as her heart went out to Loki. Thor was a very lucky man, to have someone love him that much. She had a feeling it wasn’t one sided though.

 

Erik came back into the kitchen, a pinched look in his face. “I have just booked tickets back home, I am sorry to leave you in the lurch Jane but I am afraid my own research can’t be put on the backburner any longer.”

 

Darcy gave him a saccharine smile, “No need to worry about Janey, I’ve got her back and S.H.I.E.L.D. looks like it might actually be a good employer, despite the whole secretive creepies.” It was a very polite, subtle way of saying don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

 

“It’s okay Erik, of course you need to focus on your own work. Thank you for coming to help me when I needed it.” Jane was relieved that Erik was leaving if she was to be honest with herself. She didn’t need his brand of snootiness or the tension he brought but she couldn’t be rude to him either. He had been there for her in times when no one else had.

 

Erik nodded shortly to her, ignoring the other two people in the room and went back to pack the rest of his things.

 

Darcy wouldn’t _say_ good riddance out loud for Jane’s sake but boy was she thinking it. Instead she wiggled in her seat and spoke to Loki, “Okay your turn to tell a story. What’s your favorite adventure that you’ve been on?”

 

Loki’s mouth kicked up, “I would have to say the time Thor convinced me to accompany him and the Warriors Four to Svartalfheim.” He settled in to tell her the tale, absently wondering how things were back on Asgard.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings to speak of. Just some banter and setting up for the coming showdown.

Frigga looked up from her spinning wheel at the scratch on her door to see a young woman from the Grove bashfully poking her head in. She stopped the wheel and rose, “What brings a Grove student to my spinning chambers?”

 

“Please forgive me Lady Frigga but there have been strange happenings around Amora’s prison of late. Animals vanishing and now none will even approach, and screams. We had thought they were hers for a time but...last eve it sounded as though it was a man screaming. The proctors sent me to you as you created her prison.”

 

“I see,” Frigga reached the door and placed her hand on the woman’s shoulder, “Visit the kitchens and fill your belly whilst I discuss this with my husband and consult the Norns.” She then walked off down the hall and to the Bifrost where Odin had taken to spending his time looking over their boys.

 

Odin still felt like it had been the right thing, sending Thor away but that didn’t mean that he didn’t miss him. He missed both his boys and he wanted to look over them, make sure they were safe and well. He loathed the thought of his son hurting but it was a necessary pain. Growing in any which way always had pain in it.

 

“The queen is coming.” Heimdall spoke softly, looking over all other eight roams out there. As much as he wished to, he couldn’t focus solely on Midgard to see how Loki was faring in the world that had fascinated him so much.

 

“Frigga.” Odin rose from where he had been seated and walked toward his wife. “Is something the matter?”

 

She nodded at the Guardian, “Heimdall, I do hope my husband has not been too much of a thorn in your side.” She turned her attention to her husband and laid a soft hand on Odin’s cheek lovingly, “A Grove student has reported strange happenings around Amora’s prison.”

 

The Allfather leaned into his wife’s touch though he worried. “That is worrying news. What sort of happenings are we talking about?” Amora was a dark horse and even after the years that had passed since her attack on Sif they hadn’t been able to let her out. Her malice and ill intent bleeding out from the prison she was in.

 

Frigga relayed what the student had told her, “I will check if the Norns will allow me to see what has unfolded but I think you should send Huginn and Muninn to see first hand what has come to pass.”

 

“Aye.” Odin nodded. “Be careful with the Norns.” They were not on the side of good or evil, but one should never anger them. “I shall call on my ravens and let them know what to do.” Odin sent his thoughts out to his two raven scouts and heard an answering caw on the wind. They had received their mission.

 

“I will.” She kissed his cheek then disappeared in a shower of sparks for what would seem to her husband and Heimdall as naught but moments but for her could be hours or even days. Consulting with the Norns was always like that. When she reappeared she was pale, faint lines of tension bracketing her mouth and at the corners of her eyes.

 

Odin was there to wrap her in his arms, he had been waiting, knowing how time worked differently when in the power of the Norns. He brushed her face with gentle fingertips and kissed her forehead. “Did you learn anything my love?”

 

“I did. It would not surprise me if Hugninn and Muninn find the prison empty of living beings,” she leaned into his embrace, “She is seeking dark energy paths, outside the Bifrost, to reach Midgard.” She knew he would understand why, “You and I can not interfere but we _can_ send support.” And she knew that both the Warriors Four and Thor needed to clear the air between them before the wound festered.

 

Nodding, Odin kept his arms around his queen. Energy crackled around him in his upset over what Amora was doing but Frigga was right, the two of them could not interfere. He didn’t think that the Warriors Four would mind coming to Thor’s aid though, they had their issues between them but none of them had been happy with Odin for sending Thor away. “We will speak to them, I believe our sons can use all the help they can get.”

 

Frigga nodded, “And I believe that Thor may need Sif’s unrelenting honesty right now.” She rubbed her cheek against his, “Come. Let us speak to them.”

 

Sif was twirling a dagger around her fingers and listening to Fandral and Volstagg snipe at each other. Without Thor around those two seemed to get very irritable with one another. She was on the edge of throwing her knife at them for some thinking silence. She missed Thor, was perhaps still...unsettled about his temper tantrum, but she missed him. Missed the good humor and warm smiles, Stars help her she even missed Loki and his clever tongue. Hogun was too quiet to spar with verbally.

 

“You cannot still be hungry? You ate eight boars on your own just now.” Fandral was pacing again, feeling trapped. He loved his friends but things were unsettled between them and nothing felt quite right without Thor and Loki there with them.

 

“Mind your own business, I can eat if I wish to. It is not like we have something else to do.” Volstagg dug into the large leg of the fried bird on his plate with sharp teeth.

 

“Then I might be able to give you something to do.” Odin entered the room, Frigga at his side.

 

Sif was on her feet in an instant, the others not far behind, and she bowed to them, “My King, my Queen.”

 

Hogun did the same, “How may we serve you?”

 

Frigga didn’t smile where she normally would and that set Sif’s gut to twitching.

 

“Amora is gone from her prison,” Frigga saw Sif’s eyes heat and the young woman’s hand trace her leg where it had been impaled all those years ago, “and she is finding a way to Midgard.”

 

“Where you sent Thor and Mjolnir...A powerless Thor.” Fandral’s eyes narrowed, if there were anyone allowed to kick some sense into Thor it was them, none however was allowed to hurt him. “Do you have any inkling of what her plans are?”

 

“When are we leaving?” Volstagg asked at the same time, dropping the bird leg on the table and wiping his hands on his tunic.

 

“As soon as you gather your things for the trip. I do not know how long it will be until she attacks and she may very well attack from the shadows. Be on your guard,” Frigga warned.

 

Sif sheathed her dagger, mouth set in a firm line. That bitch was not allowed to harm Thor, ever.

 

Hogun nodded sharply, “We should be ready within the hour.”

 

“Once you’ve gathered your things, go to Heimdall. We will be waiting there.”

 

Fandral nodded at his Queen and King, mind already on Midgard and what they could do to help Thor.

 

Odin nodded back and walked out with Frigga. “Thor could not ask for better guards or more loyal friends.” He felt better knowing that they would be on Midgard with their boys.

 

\-----------------------------

 

Loki was laying out atop one of what he’d heard Coulson call a mobile command unit, soaking in the sun and thinking. It had been a week they’d been accompanying Jane and Darcy to this site daily for their research, and also a week of watching the archer and his agent easily slide in and out of the skin of the efficient warrior whenever they needed to. It had also been a week of Thor brooding about and Loki gradually getting more and more sick of it. Thor wasn’t talking to him and it made him angry. And told him that he clearly had a little of his own growing up to do still if he could throw a mental fit about Thor keeping something private.

 

It wasn’t as though he had a right to Thor’s every thought so he shouldn’t be such a sulking brat about the refusal to share them. He didn’t know if it bothered him so because he was worried or simply because he didn’t like Thor refusing him something he asked for. It seemed he was just as spoiled as the cabbagehead in his own way.

 

“What the fuck?” Clint looked up from where he’d had target practice, partly to intimidate the S.H.I.E.L.D employees and partly because he needed to keep up his skill. Just a minute ago there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky and now it looked like one hell of a thunderstorm was coming. “Is this some freaky voodoo you’re doing?” He called up to where he knew Loki was.

 

Loki sat up, feeling the power crawling over his skin, “No but you may soon have more visitors,” he jumped down from the vehicle roof, “It’s the Bifrost, someone’s about to come through.”

 

“Great! Such joy, more people that walk around like mopey blond bears or dark haired pissants of annoyance.” Clint already had his phone out calling Phil to let him know that they were expecting company.

 

Loki saw Jane and Darcy rushing to a vehicle to get site readings, Thor following and staring at the sky and he went over, pulling the blond into the back of the van with him, “Might as well see who or what is coming through.”

 

Darcy plonked her behind into the front passenger seat, “Friends of yours?”

 

“Possibly.”

 

“Heimdall would not let anyone with ill intent through.” Thor did not want to think about the fact that it might not be Heimdall behind the opening of Bifrost. That would mean that something terrible had happened at home and that was a too awful thought to linger on. He was nervous and ashamed for being nervous but even if it were friends coming through, they would have been witness to his fall and banishment. He could not look anyone from Asgard in the eye.

 

“Look at this, the readings are going crazy.” Jane swerved to avoid an agent since she looked more at her instruments than the road.

 

“Yeah and the sky is falling too,” Darcy whistled at the way the clouds roiled and cracked and lightning of different colors walked across them, “You guys jump through that?” She looked back at Loki and Thor.

 

“I did. Thor was unceremoniously tossed, bit excessive if you ask me,” Loki said as they made their way to the site just as a beam of Bifrost energy speared down into the dust of the desert.

 

In the car following them Phil slammed to a stop, narrowing his eyes at the four forms standing where the light had impacted just moments ago. “All agents be advised, use caution, do not approach the unknowns until their status as friendly or threat is ascertained.”

 

“Affirmative Sir.” Clint looked out the window, gun ready if it should be needed, not that he knew how much damage a gunshot would do. “You are going to have Fury so far up your ass over this, I am still surprised he’s not here in person trying his best to work out what makes Loki and Thor tick.”

 

Thor swallowed, he would recognize those forms anywhere. He opened the backdoor of the van and stepped out, moving toward the Warriors Four.

 

Sif blinked at the strange things rolling up to stop several paces away from them as she got her bearings but then she saw a familiar form coming forward out of one and couldn’t help the beaming smile that crossed her face. Her hand shot up in a wave and she began running toward him, “Thor!”

 

Inside the van Loki made a vaguely disgusted sound, though his heart wasn’t in it, “The Warriors Four. This is going to be a disaster.”

 

“How come? Are they violent?” Jane asked as she looked at what was happening outside the car.

 

Thor barely had time to brace himself before he was tackled by Sif into a hug. The last time he’d seen her, she had been black and blue and hurt from what he had done to her and he could not understand why she was smiling at him.

 

“Thor!” Volstagg boomed and lifted both Thor and Sif in a rib cracking hug.

 

Fandral followed at a more sedate pace alongside Hogun. “Lots of sand here, must be a horror to keep ones weapons clean.”

 

Hogun made a grunt of agreement, “Though I would imagine keeping it out of your armor and clothes is more difficult.”

 

Loki shook his head, “Not unless provoked and even then rarely. They are simply...irritating.” He got out of the van, stifling his surge of jealousy at the way Sif was clinging to Thor though Volstagg’s presence mitigated that nicely. He eyed the red bearded warrior, “I see you’ve gained an even rounder belly than before. Roast a brace of hogs?”

 

“Why am I not surprised? The gnat is here, feeding off the blood of its host.” Volstagg curled his lips in disgust but his words weren’t truly venomous. It was actually soothing to know that Thor hadn’t been completely on his own. “And it’s birds actually. The ones large as horses, with the right seasoning they are rather pleasing.”

 

“They taste like dung, the seasoning only make them taste like spicy dung.” Fandral rolled his eyes and clapped Thor on the back before moving to do the same to Loki. “Good to know you’ve been looking out for the bonehead.”

 

“It’s what I do if you recall,” Loki drawled.

 

Sif hopped down from Thor and looked up at him, “Tis good to see you,” she cut a look over at Loki, “Not quite so to see you.”

 

“Sif, your ever kind regard warms my cold, black soul.”

 

In the car with Phil and Clint, hearing the conversation over the listening unit they’d planted on Thor, Natasha snorted, “He has one of those?”

 

“Very cold and black and buried very, very deep down beneath his snarky surface in that case.” Clint watched the newcomers with fascination. “You must love their tailor though...very...rustic...”

 

“What are you doing here my friends?” Thor was still baffled by their behavior. “I did you wrong, how can you even look upon me with something other than scorn?”

 

“Have we not done wrong of our own?” Hogun questioned, “We have been friends for far too long to allow one very bad mistake to tear us apart so long as you are heeding the lesson you are being taught.”

 

Sif punched Thor in a pectoral muscle, “And you cabbagehead, we would not leave you to fight alone even if the Allfather himself barred our way.”

 

Loki frowned, “I do not like the sound of that. What has transpired?”

 

“Amora has broken out of the prison Frigga designed for her. She has used living creatures, both animal and Aesir to create dark energy. She is here in Midgard.” Fandral met Loki’s eyes, knowing the dark prince would understand what that meant more than Thor would.

 

“We have come to aid you in capturing her and keep her from doing harm.” Volstagg puffed his chest out. “Sent here by the King and Queen themselves.”

 

Loki turned sharply and strode toward the car holding the archer and his company, knocking once on the window and waiting patiently for it to roll down even while cold anger and concern for Thor burned in his eyes.

 

“What can we do for you sweetcheeks?” Clint refused to admit that he was kinda freaked out by the cold anger in Loki’s eyes. It felt as if he were to look into them for too long they would freeze him all the way down to his soul.

 

“And does it have to do with this Amora your little friends are discussing?” Natasha asked.

 

“Yes. You are very swiftly about to have a problem,” he reached into the car, snatching a piece of blank paper from a notepad on the dashboard and used his magic to make an image of Amora appear on the paper, “That is Amora. She is a magic user who has an unhealthy obsession with Thor, an easily stirred petulant temper, and an utter disregard for the harm she could cause to innocents. She is likely to look around Midgard and decide she likes the thought of ruling it.”

 

Phil narrowed his eyes, “And she came here...how?”

 

“There are two ways to open doors between realms in Asgard, one is the Bifrost, the other is only known by those magic users of a certain level. It is gathering dark energy, either by calling it with your own life energy or the way Amora has done, sacrificing the life energy of others.”

 

“Yeah...I really don’t like the thought of some she-spider with delusions of grandeur and plans for world domination in my neighborhood.” Clint made a face. “Anything that you know of that we can use to weaken her if not full out stop her?”

 

“Aesir are not immortal, merely more durable than your species due to greater exertion on their bodies. Blades penetrate if they’re sharp and strong enough,” he slipped one of his own out to hand it, hilt first to the archer, “Such as that one. Though she will use magic to protect herself as well. That I will allow you to study one we return to your base.”

 

“You’re being very cooperative,” Natasha said suspiciously.

 

Loki turned his eyes to her, “Amora is here to come after Thor,” that was all he said, and with his angered, protective, and stony tone it was all that needed to be said. He saw Coulson’s eyes gleam in understanding and wry sympathy.

 

Clint didn’t get it but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Loki was willing to help them with how to defeat this Amora then he would simply say please and thank you. “We should get back to base.” He looked out the window. “How many spots do you have in the van? If we don’t get the bearded giant, we could ferry two people in this car.”

 

“I would not force even Erik Selvig to suffer Volstagg’s foul, gaseous presence.” Loki cast his gaze over Natasha again and smirked, “I’ll send Sif and Hogun. There’s only room for the other two left in Jane’s van.”

 

“We’ll wait and follow behind the van, just in case Jane decides to try and hit something or someone else on the way back.” Clint grinned faintly.

 

Fandral had caught sight of Jane and Darcy and was standing next to the van with his most winsome smile on his face.

 

Volstagg was complaining about metal monsters and Thor still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that they were here, in Midgard.

 

Loki rolled his eyes at Fandral and whapped him on the back of the head with the flat of his hand, “Very much deserving of better than a scoundrel like yourself Fandral. Volstagg cease your whining and get into the vehicle. We need to return to the base to make plans. Sif, Hogun if you would please ride in that vehicle,” he nodded at Coulson’s car and saw Sif’s gaze turn excited at the sight of Natasha. Lady warriors recognized their own kind he supposed and Hogun looked intrigued by the archer and Coulson.

 

Sif nodded in agreement, “We can trust these mortals?”

 

“Yes. They guard their home, present no threat to that home and no threat shall be leveled upon you.”

 

She hummed and headed for the vehicle.

 

Fandral rubbed his head and pulled a still whinging Volstagg along with him inside the van. “I was just being friendly, introducing myself and such.”

 

Thor climbed in as well, sitting down next to Loki as Jane started the car back up again.

 

Darcy turned around and eyed the sandy blond, “Hah! You were making the moves on us so obviously I almost saw a sign above your head asking ‘will you sleep with me’ though points for keeping your eyes above the collarbone.”

 

Loki chuckled, “Long training with Sif.”

 

“I stand by just being friendly.” Fandral was still grinning. “And who can blame me for being near in shock when there are such lovely, beautiful creatures here in Midgard. I swear nearly believed I had walked straight into one of Freya’s dreams.”

 

Thor shook his head, Fandral would never change, though he had gotten considerably smoother and more graceful since his fumbles with Anna Fishlips.

 

“Cute,” Darcy looked at Loki, “So this Amora chick, she’s the one in that story I pestered out of you last night,” she’d been peeling stories out of Loki all week.

 

“She is.”

 

“Yikes, bad business. Gotta say though, between you and the serious heavy metal babe riding with Clint and Phil I can’t see how she’s gonna manage to do anything.”

 

“She will strike from the shadows.” Fandral grew serious. “Amora is clever enough to wait for the opportune moment and she’s had the time to plan out her actions. She is no fool and she should not be underestimated.”

 

“But what does she want?” Thor frowned. “I do not understand it.”

 

“She wants _you_ ,” Loki had a thin blade in his hand that he’d begun fiddling with, “however she can get you. If she can’t get you-”

 

“I think I get where this is going. If the voodoo bitch can’t have Thor no one else can have him?” Darcy said and got a nod from Loki.

 

“But _why_?” That was what Thor didn’t understand. He had spent one day, one single day with a sweet girl who had turned out not being very sweet and he had been a child when it happened.

 

“Who knows why or how someone becomes obsessed, they are not well. Amora...there is something wrong with her.” Fandral looked at Thor with sympathy. His friend was so lost in Loki, so in love with him even if he didn’t know it himself that he couldn’t see how anyone else would want him.

 

“She’s a magic loon and should be put down like all others like her.” Volstagg grumbled.

 

“Hold your tongue!” Thor snapped. “We have had this conversation Volstagg and I am getting tired of repeating myself.”

 

Darcy scowled at the huge man, “So what...you think that cause crazy witch plays with magic everyone else who does is bad? Does that mean that all the Aesir have sex with horses when they feel horny?”

 

Loki rolled his lips together in amusement at Fandral’s choked sound and Volstagg’s reddening cheeks.

 

“I cannot speak for Volstagg nor all the Aesir but I prefer my maidens with less legs and hoofless.” Fandral didn’t know whether to be amused or outraged so he went with amused.

 

“Be silent if you do not have anything nice to say.” Thor was still glaring at Volstagg. He had missed his friends so much but he was done with letting Volstagg take cheap shots at Loki whenever he had the chance. “You lost your father in war, it was no one’s fault.”

 

Volstagg turned his head and stared out the window.

 

“It sucks losing your Daddy when you’re little bitty I know. But there’s good people and bad people in every kind of people.” Darcy said, “You can’t go blaming _all_ of one kind for what happens in a war. I mean Mr. Flirt here seems nice enough but you’re coming off as kinda a jerk. Thor’s super sweet and Loki is just a great big huggy bear once you get past his bite. And this Amora, you’re actin like her having magic makes her a different species but she’s Aesir _just like you_. And doesn’t Thor’s mama have magic? Is _she_ bad in your opinion?”

 

Loki smiled at Darcy’s wide eyed look on Volstagg. The woman was good at speaking her way past stupidity.

 

Volstagg stayed silent but he had a look of deep thought on his face, like he was actually thinking about his actions.

 

“Well said Darcy.” Jane reached over and pat Darcy’s shoulder and then quickly pulling the van back to the right side of the road.

 

“Indeed.” Fandral agreed. “A lady of brains and beauty beyond compare.”

 

“Smooth. I bet you say that to all the girls.” Darcy grinned at him.

 

“Fewer than you might expect actually, he is still not good enough for you,” Loki drawled, “But then neither would a king be.”

 

“For a lady such as Darcy here, I would aim to better myself until I was worthy.” Fandral looked besotted.

 

Thor was jealous, he was jealous of Darcy whom he adored, he was jealous of how Loki spoke so fondly of her when it was the all true. Darcy was an amazing girl and it was such an ugly feeling to have. Thor wanted it gone.

 

“You,” Darcy pointed at Fandral, “are dangerous. You,” she pointed at Loki, “are full of it. And Thor, sweet baby, you look sad.” She reached out and cupped his chin in her hand, tilting his face up to meet her eyes, “You can’t do that while I can’t get out of my seat to hug you better. I mean I can ask Loki to hug you in my place but he’s all pointy.”

 

Loki’s shoulders shook in amusement, though he did give Darcy a narrow look for suggesting he hug Thor. He didn’t need her trying to play matchmaker as sweet of her as it was.

 

“I am well Lady Darcy, not sad. How can I be when my friends have come here. And though I would never refuse a hug from you milady, I do not need one.” Thor smiled at her and tried not to think about how much he would like to have a hug from Loki instead. A hug freely given.

 

“I am not dangerous.” Fandral gave Darcy a wide eyed look. “I am as gently as a fluffy lamb.”

 

The radio in the van crackled and Sif’s voice came out, “Lies! The lady knows of whence she speaks. That fair tongue of yours has lifted countless skirts though tis few you indulge in.”

 

Darcy giggled, “I’m guessing that’s the Asgardian version of panty dropping sexy?”

 

Loki was too busy laughing to respond, so amused at Fandral’s expense that he wound up leaning on Thor to keep from falling over inside the van.

 

“Do not listen to such filthy lies, especially ones spoken in Sif’s voice through a small box like that.” Fandral wished Sif was there so he could give her the look of death. “She is not one to speak either, ask her to tell about the notches on her belt.”

 

Thor chose to indulge and wrapped an arm around Loki’s shoulder, he could always pretend that it was to keep his brother steady.

 

“Ninety-seven at last count,” Sif said cheerfully, “and such a pity that the two mortal men we’re with are interested only in each other. That is a filling I would be happy to be.”

 

Darcy’s hooting laughter rose with Loki’s.

 

“Lady you are hotter than fire but even if I wasn’t in a totally monogamous and loving relationship I wouldn’t _dare_ to bump my uglies with you.” Clint’s voice sounded deeply amused.

 

“Afraid Clint? How unlike you.” Jane called over the radio.

 

“Nope, just smart and keep your eyes on the road woman. You’re making me carsick and I am not in the van with you.”

 

Loki turned his face further into Thor’s shoulder, still laughing but also aware of where he was now and indulging himself in soaking the contact in.

 

Darcy grinned, “Janey I kinda think Clint might have danced the mattress rhumba with Red at some point so I don’t think it’s anything to do with fear.”

 

Natasha’s voice purred, “You’re not wrong.”

 

“Chatter,” Phil’s voice was stern, “And Dr. Foster do please keep your eyes on the road as Agent Barton requested before I pull you over and have Clint finish driving you back to base.”

 

“My eyes are on the road...they are just elsewhere too at times.” Jane argued but she did focus on driving. She was a little surprised that Clint and Natasha had been together and that they worked together now, obviously very close and Phil seemed completely alright with it. Her ex would never have been okay with her being that close to someone she had been intimate with.

 

“It’s the elsewhere times I am worried about. Now drive like you actually have a license, don’t make me separate from my boo.” Clint made a cooing sound.

 

“I feel so loved,” it was drier than the desert they were in.

 

“Awww you should secret Agent Man, Clint and his gorgeous ass are all yours despite the severe hotness that abounds and is very clearly looking. His milkshake brings all the hotties to the yard but it’s all yours.” Darcy giggled, grinning.

 

“Absolutely, I don’t shake for anyone but you baby.” Clint continued to coo into Phil’s ear, dodging an ear flick from Natasha.

 

“I like this place.” Fandral looked gleeful. “I truly like it.”

 

Loki had calmed and reluctantly sat up straight again, lamenting the loss of Thor’s touch. “It only gets better.”


	8. Chapter 8

Sif found Thor sitting on a thick cut stump and walked over, “May I join you?”

 

“Of course,” Thor shifted to the side to make room for Sif. “You never even have to ask.” He waited until she was sitting next to him. “I am sorry, I am so sorry for what I did, for hurting you.” He had been afraid that he would never get the chance to apologize and he wanted to do it properly.

 

“Yes. I know. I forgave you before Odin sent you here. I may not have felt a love so strong that separation causes a complete loss of sense but I can understand it. Midgard has been good for you, you’ve grown,” she placed a hand on his knee, squeezed then let got, and let go of more than that as well. “You’ve still some things to learn though you have learned much.” She turned her head to look at him, “He loves you, more than you might believe.”

 

“Nay,” Thor shook his head because he couldn’t let himself believe that. “He cannot and he should not. I took away his free will, called on him like a pet and expected him to follow. He deserves better than that and I need to let him go to give it to him.”

 

“Thor,” she cupped his face and met his eyes, sincerity burning in her own, “He _does_ and always has. He drained himself of magic to save you from a bilgesnipe as a child, he guarded _me_ who previously had done nothing but hate him for he knew my injury would grieve you when we were but youths, he has followed you, not because you command it, but because he’s _wished_ to for years. Aye you have treated him like a pet, disrespected his wishes, and expected him to follow like the spoiled prince you were but that does not make his love for you any less nor any less valid.

 

“He is _Loki_ and he lets no one learn of his vulnerabilities yet he is even now speaking with and allowing the Midgardians to inspect him, learn how to get around magic, examine his weapons, so that they may better assist in protecting _you_. We all, myself, Fandral, Hogun and aye even Volstagg can see his feelings for you plain as day. You do him a disservice and continue to show disrespect by thinking that you know what is best and planning to give it to him without consulting him on what _he_ wants. Thor, your parents have a legendary love because they are partners, true _partners_ who share all decisions and troubles between them. Odin makes no decision without Frigga’s consultation and Frigga returns that to him. That is what you have left to learn, true partnership and the respect that comes with it.”

 

“I want it; I wish to have that I do.” Thor swallowed and leaned his head on Sif’s shoulder. “I want to learn because I wish to become better, worthy. I simply do not know how to do it.” No matter what he did, someone seemed to get hurt and it was all his fault. And then there was this whole Amora situation. If she truly was after him than anyone in his presence was at risk, not to mention that she still most likely hated Loki for standing up to her and besting her all those years ago. “I am lost Sif and no matter how hard I look, I cannot find the path home.”

 

“Then you ask for directions from the one who has always been your guiding star. Speak to Loki, respect him and his decisions as you would your own. That will be the first step. Loki will help you find the next stone on your path.” She stroked a hand over his hair, “He still irritates me but I wish for you to be happy more than anything.”

"Sif the wise, I believe the Allfather has some competition in you." Thor knew that Sif was right in what she was saying, acting on it was something different entirely though, he still didn't know where to begin. "I wish you to be happy as well."

 

“Nay, I never wish to be that wise. So much wisdom is gained at the hand of suffering. I am content with the wisdom gained through the pains of growing up and living a good life, nothing more,” she laid a kiss on his brow, “And I am happy as well as happy for my own love to come around whenever the Norns decree.”

 

"Your love will come around when you least expect it. I do not know how anyone can be worthy of you though. Whoever it may be will have to go through both me and the warriors" Thor smiled, feeling easier than he had in a long time.

 

She returned his smile, “Ah but consider that they must first deal with me as well.” She looked up as a sound came from several paces away and saw Loki approaching, “He’s here, now stop being a cabbagehead. I’ll leave you to talk.” She got to her feet and walked back toward the mortals’ odd camp where Mjolnir sat waiting for Thor to grow up, pausing only to exchange barbs with Loki for a moment.

 

Loki cocked his brow after his sally in return to Sif’s bite then went to sit next to Thor, “She’s losing her touch. That was a rather weak insult.”

 

"She will most likely be back on form tomorrow. I believe she took pity on you because she was aware I will attempt to fumble my way through a conversation with you." Thor looked down at a tear in his jeans, pulling on a loose thread. "I am sorry...i really am. I have not treated anyone worse than I have treated you and I am so, so sorry for it."

 

Green eyes went wide, utter surprise flickering through him, but he wasn’t one who couldn’t connect the dots, “Is that what’s had you so quiet these last several days?” It was gentle, searching. He needed to know that Thor had become aware of it himself and not been told.

 

Thor nodded. "Aye, it has not been easy...coming to terms with how I have wronged you. How foolish, selfish I have been. You are a treasure Loki, always have been and i am sorry for treating you like something that belonged to me. I am sorry, sorry for being so horrible that I drove you away from your home." He shifted and looked at Loki. "I have spent the last days trying to find some way to show you how sorry I am but all I have are my words, poor as the are.

 

“You’re forgiven. You weren’t _horrible_ you know. You were just always there even when I sought privacy or peaceful quiet to study. I have never disliked you or found your company loathsome. I simply needed some space now and again.” Loki raised a hand to lay it on Thor’s shoulder, “I felt it would benefit the both of us for me to indulge my curiosity of Midgard whilst you ruled in Odin’s stead while he slept but I owe you an apology as well. For leaving without speaking to you, telling you only in a letter. I allowed my cowardice to keep me from facing you and speaking plainly and it caused you hurt. I am sorry for that.”

 

“You have nothing to apologize for Loki, I do understand why you did what you did. I am only sorry that I drove you to it.” Thor took a deep breath. “I have been trying to figure out how to let you go...Then a wise woman just reminded me that perhaps it should be your choice.” A small smile quirked Thor’s lips and he met Loki’s eyes. “I am not going to change over a day, I will most likely be overbearing and possessive but I swear to you here and now that my days of governing you and trying to tell you what to do are done. You are very much your own person, with a clever brilliant mind and if you were less...then you wouldn’t be the man I love.” Thor’s heart was pounding now, he’d be surprised if Loki couldn’t hear it where he was sitting.

 

The breath left him in a rush and he felt his head swim before he remembered to breathe in again. A swift gasp of almost trembling disbelief before he asked after the only thing he could focus on from all that had just fallen from Thor’s lips, “Did you just say...?”

 

Thor nodded again. “Aye.” He struggled for words, by the Norns, he was a warrior and still words were the things that could trip him up him the easiest, making him feel cowardice. “You have held my heart for as long as I can recall.” His fingers toyed with the rip in his jeans again. “I went about showing that to you in the worst way possible though.”

 

“Aye you did,” and with that Loki just cupped the side of Thor’s face and laid his lips upon his in a chaste kiss, feeling the soft scrape of beard against his face. “And despite it managed to have me in love with you as well though I know not when I fell.”

 

Thor closed his eyes, allowing himself just to feel the soft touch of Loki’s lips against his own. It was sweeter than any dream he’d had about it happening. “I do not know what will happen next but I am certain I want you.”

 

“You’ll have me, even when you act like a damned fool cabbagehead, you will have me.” He kissed Thor again before pulling back, choosing to lace their fingers together, a novel sensation, Thor’s fingers being much broader than his and rough. “And if you try to push me away I will clout you over the head for it.”

 

“Please do.” Thor rubbed his thumb over the back of Loki’s slender, pale hand, marveling at the smooth, silky feel of his skin. “You have always known when I need to have my sense knocked back into me.” He knew that there would be occasions where it would be necessary, Thor would do what he could to keep Loki safe and he had a feeling Loki would not appreciate it. They both had tempers and it would not all be smooth sailing but Thor still wanted nothing else.

 

“That I have. Though you have an uncommon talent for convincing me to join in foolishness,” a smile flirted around Loki’s lips. “Perhaps exactly what I need when I grow _too_ sequestered in my studies. We’ll learn, together.”

 

“Aye, together.” Thor smiled again and leaned in for another kiss, pressing a little more firmly against the plush lips beneath his this time.

 

“Aww man, this was not something I needed to see so close to food time.” Clint stumbled on to them, quickly regretting it.

 

Loki sent a shock of magic at the archer, turning his clothes virulent orange and his hair a very unpleasant shade of pink, and otherwise ignored him in favor of kissing Thor happily now that he could.

 

“I hate you...” Clint couldn’t see his hair but he had perfect vision of his clothes and he loathed the color orange. Blegh, the best color if you wanted a target on your back and end up dead.

 

Thor chuckled against Loki’s lips and threaded his fingers into that silky dark hair as he deepened the kiss.

 

Loki made a borderline whimper and gripped the front of Thor’s shirt, opening to the kiss and welcoming Thor in. His eyes fluttered shut as the taste of him filled his senses. Though the sound of Volstagg making loud protests as he came upon the view made him snicker into the kiss.

 

Volstagg wanted to shout about Loki enchanting Thor loud and wide but even he, despite his lack of liking for Loki knew that wasn’t true. Oh Thor was enchanted by the foundling alright but it had nothing to do with magic. That didn’t mean that he approved of course so he kept on cursing and bemoaning what he saw.

 

“Not fair. Beardy here gets a snicker and I turned into an orange assclown. So not fair.” Clint bitched, still pulling at his clothes.

 

“Here is an idea, if you don’t like what you see, leave and let them have their privacy.” Jane stalked up, and pulled Volstagg and Clint away by the collars of their shirts...Well she had Clint by his collar and Volstagg by the back of his belt because she couldn’t reach his collar.

 

Darcy grinned as Jane yanked them back in, “Aww Clint baby don’t look so down. I bet big beardy just didn’t get the mojo cause he’s probably used to dodging it. The hair’s not so bad but please change out of the orange, you look like a prison inmate.”

 

“Hair?” Clint honestly whimpered a little at that. “What’s wrong with my hair?” He groaned bitterly when he caught sight of himself in her pocket mirror. “He better change it back.” Until then, Clint would sneak into Phil’s bed and hide.

 

“Twill fade,” Sif approached, uncaring of the near swooning agents staring in her wake, “Within a week I should think.” She gave Volstagg a pointed look, “Did I not tell you to leave them be?”

 

Volstagg just grumbled something because yes, Sif had told them that Loki and Thor needed to talk and to leave them alone. She had not said anything about them kissing though. It was like a monster mauling a warrior, as gruesome as it was to watch, you couldn’t look away from it, even though it made you sick to your stomach.

 

“Fool,” it was fondly said, “Come, these warriors have opened their eating hall to us though I did warn them twas a mistake. Let us partake in their hospitality.”

 

“Food?” Volstagg perked up instantly. “It has been a long journey, I could it a boar or two.”

 

Fandral leaned against a pole. “Long? In distance perhaps but it took mere moments, you still have a belly full of dung bird.” He shook his head but followed his friends and lovely Midgardian ladies into the eating hall.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Phil was rubbing his temple as he opened the camper door and wondering if he should up the count on his antacids. The he stopped and blinked at Clint, “What in the name of sanity crawled onto your head and died?”

 

“Loki.” It was hissed out like the foulest curse and Clint pulled the blankets of Phil’s bed up higher so that he was nearly buried beneath them. “I stumbled onto him and Blondie tasting each other’s tonsils and this is what happened. Lady hardass says it should fade within a week...a _week_ Phil.”

 

“So you’ll have pepto-bismol pink hair for a week,” Phil set his files down and settled on the edge of the bed, “I’m trying for sympathy here, I really and truly am.”

 

Clint squirmed his way over, still wrapped in the blankets until he was pressed against Phil’s side. “Do you have any idea how hot it will be to wear a beanie in the desert? And I can’t go out like this...I look like a circus freak.” And that right there, that was the issue Clint had with this whole thing. Usually he could take a prank without turning into a human, blanket caterpillar.

 

Phil tugged the blanket away to run his fingers through the shock of pink hair, “No, you look more like a punk rock fan got a hold of a bad dye kit actually. I’m sure there’s a dye kit around here that can cover the pink though.”

 

“Doubt it, this right here is a magic dye job. If I try to tamper with it I wouldn’t be surprised if I grew pink dildos instead of hair or something equally horrifying.” Clint pressed even closer to Phil. “Nope I have a plan, I am going to stay right here, under your blankets until it wears off and then I am going to shoot Loki in his happy package...see how much joy he has of it after that.”

 

“Or you could apologize for interrupting his private time with Thor and request he at least make it a less offensive color. Since I need you on point looking for signs of this Amora. We need to find and neutralize her soon because there are too many things cropping up all at once now.” He sounded tired. He _was_ tired, and a little disappointed considering what he’d just learned that he wouldn’t get to be a part of that they’d found in the Arctic yesterday.

 

“Hey babe...” Clint finally noticed the tension in Phil’s shoulders and the circles beneath his eyes. “You okay? I’ll apologize and for you I’ll rock this hair like nobody else could.” For Phil, Clint would do anything and he definitely didn’t want to make things harder on him, give him more work and more worries. He shifted until he was behind Phil, moving his hands out of the blankets to rub his lover’s neck, working out the knots with strong fingers.

 

Phil made a soft, sigh and leaned into Clint’s hands, “A Stark oil expedition in the Arctic found the Valkyrie yesterday, Captain America was found in a block of ice inside, they’re thawing the body out now, Stark’s relationship with Pepper is already on the rocks if the stories of him annoying the hell out of Nick about Cap are true and Nick is a hair away from calling Natasha in to ‘deal with Stark’ which would go badly for all concerned.”

 

“You’re shitting me?” Captain America was found? That was like the biggest event this century. “So when are you heading out there? No one knows more about Captain A than you...aside from Stark perhaps and you can handle him, you’ve already proved that so you would be the best person for this job.” Clint didn’t want to be separated from Phil, he was greedy like that but he knew this would be a dream mission for Phil Coulson and he was the right person for it, there was not a single doubt in Clint’s mind about that.

 

“I’m not. Fury wants me here until this situation is resolved. So Stark will apparently be handling all of the Captain’s effects once they thaw out his body as well as arranging actual funeral after.” He made a sound close to a purr when Clint’s thumbs loosened a particularly tight knot.

 

“Fury can go fuck a baseball bat as far as I am concerned. It’s bullshit not having you on point on that mission.” Clint growled as he continued to rub out knots, now he knew why Phil was so tense. “If Fugly doesn’t trust Natasha and I to play nice with the other children he could send Sitwell out here...asshat bastast of a director.” He sighed. “Well only one thing to be done then...Let’s find this Amora bitch quickly. Perhaps he’ll change his mind after that. Anyone can guard the hammer...not like it’s going anywhere.”

 

“That much is true enough.” He reached up when Clint’s hand slid over the juncture of his neck and shoulder, covering it with his own, “It’s okay. I’m pretty damned sure everyone on the Cap op will be sending me pictures and updates regularly. My admiration of him is pretty well known.”

 

“They’d better send pictures.” Clint leaned in and pressed a kiss to the side of Phil’s neck. “I am still pissed on your behalf though because it is so not fair.” Clint was of half a mind to put an arrow through Fury’s remaining eye.

 

He tilted his head to give Clint better access, “Your defense is appreciated and enjoyed baby. How does so-” he made a heartfelt groan when his phone rang and he just answered it, putting it on speaker, “Coulson.”

 

“Phil you are not going to _believe_ this!” Sitwell’s excited voice came over the phone, “No really, you’re not. It is so wild and out there it should be impossible.”

 

“Jasper either say why you called or I am hanging up.”

 

“He’s alive!”

 

“Who?”

 

“Captain Freaking America that’s who! Your hero still has a heartbeat and everything!”

 

And just like that all the tension was back in Phil’s body, this time it was an excited tension though. “Jasper, get your hairy ass over here and let Coulson be where he should be.” Clint called over the line because Phil needed to be there if Captain A was alive. “Also...does Stark know?”

 

“Whose tech do you think is defrosting him? Stark knows alright and he and Fury are having the pissing match to end all pissing matches about how to deal with Cap when, _if_ , he wakes up. Kinda funny but I’m pulling for Stark to win, the boss wants to try and stick him in a fake forties room until we can ease him into the idea of being seventy years in the future then restricting his access to the outside world. Stark’s calling him an idiot and telling him...well hear for yourself.”

 

There was shuffling and then you could hear Stark’s voice, full of attitude and arrogance slicing through the air without shouting.

 

“Yeah and he’ll know as soon as he wakes up that you’re jerking him around. You’ve read the files, Rogers isn’t an idiot. You want him to trust you then you have to be straight with him, not that you have a great deal of experience with being straight with _anyone_ but there’s a first time for everything. You want to have him tell you where you can stick it, by all means try and fool him into thinking he’s waking up in the forties, I _relish_ the chance to video the ensuing disaster.”

 

Phil twitched as Nick began yelling at Stark and sighed knowing that the genius was right as Jasper came back on the phone.

 

“See what I mean.”

 

“Big ol’ clusterfuck.” Clint hadn’t met Stark but he was already rooting for him. “Stark is right, you can’t trick a man who like that. Even if it would work...He has lost everything and tricking him into believing he’s still in the forties would make him lose everything all over again when he finds out the truth. Just drug Fugly and do what is right when he’s out of it.”

 

“Barton no one has ever succeeded in drugging the boss...unless their names rhyme with _sill_ and _olsen_. I value my life too much to risk that thank you. So anytime you want to wrap up the mess there Phil, we’ll be waiting for your special dose of sanity.”

 

“Have Stark drug him, he seems like he could be sneaky enough. Or as I said earlier. Get over here so Sir, can get over there.” Clint huffed because he knew arguing wouldn’t get him anywhere. It was better to hope and do their best to make sure the Amora situation was cleared up as quickly as possible. “Come on, Coulson here is willing to trade you six aliens for one frozen capsicle.”

 

“Hmmm freezing my balls off or sand down my shorts, such a hard choice. Sorry Birdbrain, no can do. The Director has ordered Phil to be the senior agent in charge there so until orders change, here I am, getting my entertainment watching ice melt and Stark drive the Director insane.”

 

“Ah, couldn’t resist giving it a try.” Clint shrugged even though Jasper couldn’t see it. “Call me Birdbrain again though and bad things will happen. I know where you keep your porn...I especially liked the fetish ones.” He moved to get out of bed. If they were to catch this Amora then he couldn’t hide. He would do his best to get Phil to the Arctic.

 

“Touch my porn and I’ll make sure you get to train the new applicants for junior agent next quarter.”

 

Phil shook his head as Jasper signed off and tucked his phone into a pocket. “Hey, come here,” he crooked a finger at Clint.

 

Clint crawled back toward Phil, straddling his lap and wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck. “Here I am babe.”

 

He curled his hand around the back of Clint’s neck, “No need to leave for a couple hours at least. We should both catch a nap,” he brushed his lips over Clint’s, “Or if you’re not tired find another way to spend a little down time.”

 

“Sleep is overrated.” Clint grinned and surged forward to lick his way into Phil’s mouth. “I think I have a much better way to work that tension out of your body...Besides...” He looked down at his crotch. “We should see if the carpet matches the drapes.”

 

Phil let out a laugh he’d only allow in the presence of Clint and tumbled him to the sheets to do just that.


	9. Chapter 9

Loki sipped boredly at his tea and observed the agents around who were very nearly drooling down their uniforms as Sif and the Lady Natasha fought each other. He stood next to Thor, who was cheering Sif on of course, and Darcy, who was clearly pulling for Natasha. Though he appeared to be engaged in watching the people around, he was, in fact, mentally miles away, searching out any other magical signatures. He doubted Amora would be that easy to find but he could try.

 

Thor was very aware of Loki next to him as he cheered Sif on in her fight against Lady Natasha. He had offered to play bait for Amora, something that had been down voted by Aesir and Human alike, not to mention that it had earned him his first smack across the head from Loki since their talk. He had been firmly told that Amora wouldn’t be stupid enough to fall for something like that. So now he waited and waited...not his best quality.

 

Darcy peered over at Thor, smiling in understanding. She wasn’t a fan of waiting either and lately she was getting this awful feeling that kept getting worse and worse. She rubbed at her arms, feeling a shiver of cold sweep over her. She saw something odd in the area cleared for Natasha and Sif to spar. Nothing substantial, it looked like heat vapor but it gave her a bad feeling and she reached over to tug at Loki’s arm. “What is that?”

 

Loki’s attention snapped back to where they were and he looked at the spot Darcy indicated with a tilt of her head, saw it drawing closer to the fighting women, and acting before he thought, had a dagger flying out, tearing through a concealment spell to pin a serpent of some sort to the desert ground.

 

Fandral, Volstagg and Clint all had their weapons drawn as well but none of them were as quick as Loki.

 

“What is that?” Clint walked forward cautiously in care there were more snakes around. “It doesn’t look like any snake I’ve seen before.” And he’d seen his fair share much to his dismay.

 

Phil narrowed his eyes, “It looks like some kind of pit viper.”

 

Loki had another weapon in hand, a long spear, and used it to remove the head of the still writing snake altogether, “It’s a snake of Svartalfheim, the smrťzmija, similar in poison to your sidewinder, but much faster acting.”

 

Sif sneered down at the dead snake, “Cowardly wench to use such a thing rather than approaching boldly.”

 

“She knows how things played out the last time she met you face to face.” Fandral looked disgusted. “And even if the smrt’zmija did not bite the right person...well it would still thin out the herd of her enemies.”

 

Thor growled silently, he wanted to meet Amora out in the open, have it out with her so that his friends and loved one were safe.

 

“Sloppy assassination.” Clint was not impressed. “Using snakes, spiders, bugs and such is sloppy, too many things that can go wrong. You want someone dead, you make sure they are dead with your own hands.”

 

“She won’t step out into the open if she can avoid it,” Loki cast a fire spell that had the viper burning to ash, “She won’t risk herself until she’s certain of victory. This was a test.”

 

“If it was a test, how did we grade then?” Clint poked at the ash with the toe of his boot.

 

“I think she’s surprised. That a mortal lady caught sight of the threat before even Loki could.” Fandral stepped closer to Darcy. “You are a remarkable lady, with more skills than even you know about. We all owe you a great thanks for being so vigilant.”

 

Darcy chewed on her bottom lip, “I don’t think that’s a good thing right now.”

 

Loki made his spear vanish, “You’ll be well guarded Darcy.”

 

Sif went to put her arm around the small midgardian woman, “Aye little dove, we shall watch over you as surely as we do Thor.”

 

Thor gave Darcy a sympathetic look. “Aye, we can be watched over captives together Lady Darcy.” He smiled at her and leaned in between Fandral and Sif to kiss her forehead. “After all, you have not yet taught me this thing you call poker.”

 

She smiled at him, “Yeah I guess. Still kinda weird to know I can see stuff I probably shouldn’t be able to.”

 

Natasha kicked the dirt over the ash, “Understandable. Come milya, you teach Thor the rules of the game,” she gave Clint a smirk, “Hawkeye and I will teach him how to play.”

 

Loki stayed to make a circuit of the area, looking for where Amora would have intruded, or had her serpent intrude, aware of Volstagg following him. “Something weighs on your mind?”

 

For a moment Volstagg looked like he was about to choke on his own tongue. “I simply wish to thank you, for being so swift and killing the serpent before it had a chance to do harm.” He continued to walk a few steps behind Loki. “Also...I was wondering, is there some way you could teach me to spot where Amora breached our borders here. I cannot protect Thor if I do not know how to spot the enemy.”

 

“I can try but it can take years for even those inclined to see the marks of magic. Some such as Darcy are simply gifted in a way that can not be suppressed but others must work at it,” Loki went over the best ways to spot magical incursions however. The more eyes looking, the better.

 

Volstagg listened carefully. He was aware that he had no talent for magic, he was far too grounded for it and also far too skeptic but he would do all he could to learn anyway. Volstagg would do whatever he could to keep Thor safe and since Thor loved Loki, the foundling was to be kept safe as well. When Thor couldn’t protect Loki, Volstagg would.

 

Almost a full circuit of the perimeter later Loki crouched at an odd impression in the sand and took a fine powder from a pouch to sprinkle over it, revealing the shape of a footprint, much larger and broader than any woman’s with hard edges digging into the earth on either side of the heel. His mouth firmed and he looked out at the landscape, watching as the sunset turned the desert into a painted wonderland. “Skurge, the second missing guard.” He’d known Skurge before he’d been chosen to be a guard for Amora’s prison, a loyal, honorable, and skilled warrior, capable of standing toe to toe with Thor in battle, and like Loki himself, of Jotun blood only he’d always been desperate to be accepted and loved. “This bodes ill.”

 

"Aye, it does." Volstagg had never particularly liked Skurge but he had respected the man's fighting skills and he had been loyal. To know that he was now on Amora's leash was troubling indeed. "What should we do? We cannot track him based on one footprint."

 

“No. We can not. Nor through the magic Amora has used on him. But I can layer a barrier keeping him and only him out of this camp for the time being.” Loki knew Skurge’s energy, had at one point tried to befriend the man only to be rejected as Skurge violently rejected his heritage and wished nothing to do with anything of Jotunheim. He stood and brushed sand from his fingers. “Though it means the rest of Jane and Darcy’s belongings need to be relocated here.” He turned his head and spotted the archer atop the tent over Mjolnir. “There are eyes keeping watch for now while I deliver the tidings.” He turned and walked toward the smaller tent where Thor had been dragged to learn the Midgardian game of poker.

 

Volstagg still followed in Loki's footsteps like a very overgrown and vicious puppy. This wasn't news that anyone should have to deliver on their own. "Is the archer really as good with a bow as he claims to be? He seems like somewhat of a scrawny windbag to me."

 

An arrow sliced through the cloth of Volstagg’s trousers, leaving barely a hair between stabbing harmlessly in the dirt as it did, and emasculating the redheaded Asgardian. Loki merely turned his head, looking back at Volstagg, “He is. And is accomplished at reading lips as well.”

 

"Ah...good skill to have." Volstagg refused to admit that his tone of voice might be just a little higher than normal due to the fact that his private parts were doing their best to crawl back inside his body in fear. "Excellent shot archer."

 

Clint smirked where he was standing and brought his bow to his forehead in a jaunty salute before returning to watch over the base.

 

Loki stepped into the tent, the moment having given them a bit of relief from the stress, and went to stand behind Thor as Darcy giggled and raked in oreo cookies, pretzels, and peanuts from the center of the table. He imagined they were what was used to wager in these teaching games.

 

As expected, Thor's pile of goodies to wager were quickly dwindling but he had fun anyway. Hearing Lady Darcy's laughter made him feel lighter, he did not want her to be scared or worried. She deserved so much better than that.

 

The moment he caught sight of Loki though, he could tell there was a problem. "What is the matter?"

 

Darcy looked up, worried, “That is not a happy joy-joy face.”

 

Loki inclined his head to her, “Unfortunately Amora has someone working with her. I can set a barrier specifically against him but only one.”

 

She wrinkled her nose, “In other words Janey and I need to pack up and move here for now?”

 

“That would be the wisest course of action.”

 

Natasha stood up from the table, “I’ll inform Coulson.”

 

"Well at least we're used to trailer life." Jane tried to stay positive. "And tent city has excellent wi-fi."

 

Thor reached out and covered Darcy's hand with his large one. “Hopefully it will not be for long Lady Darcy and we will make sure you are as comfortable as can be in the company of good friends.”

 

“Well I do like the people when they’re not being all secret agenty, plus your crew is pretty awesome,” she smiled, “I’m not teaching Loki how to play poker though. He’d take us for everything we have.”

 

Loki chuckled, “It is common knowledge in Asgard to never wager against me.”

 

"Aye, it is only fools who never learn." Fandral grinned and gave Volstagg a pointed look, making the larger warrior shuffle where he stood. "Not even the Allfather bets against Loki."

 

"A sign of his wisdom I would say." Thor chuckled though he still felt a pang inside when he thought of his parents.

 

Loki’s hands smoothed over Thor’s shoulders, sensing the melancholy trying to creep up on him, “Once the remainder of Darcy and Jane’s things are here I’ll cast the barrier,” then he murmured for Thor’s ear alone, “I’ll need your support afterward. The distance and amount of energy used for the barrier will leave me unsteady for a short time.”

 

"I'll be there for you, anytime you need me." Thor whispered back and reached up to brush his fingers over the back of Loki's hand. Raising his voice again he looked around the table. "We should accompany the ladies to get their belongings, they should not travel alone and I cannot imagine it being pleasant to let anyone else go through and gather what you need." He could still remember the way the ladies had looked when Jane's belongings were confiscated the first time.

 

Darcy got up, smiling at him, “Thanks big guy.”

 

Phil entered the tent, “Hawkeye and Black Widow will accompany you as well. As Amora’s target is Thor I want my best agents watching his six.”

 

Natasha, wearing all her gear, something she hadn’t yet done in the time since Darcy had met her, not even for the spar with Sif, walked in, “Hawkeye is waiting at the lead van.”

 

Fandral gave the redheaded agent a long look. She looked absolutely stunning in her gear...stunning and lethal. He still found the ladies Jane and Darcy, especially Darcy more alluring but he could still look.

 

“Let us be on our way.” Thor nodded and rose from his seat, popping an oreo into his mouth and handing one to Loki, he had fallen deeply in love with the Midgardian baked goods. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back where it is safer.

 

Loki took the cookie with soft amusement and nodded before they all got underway.

 

\---------------------------

 

Loki finished casting the spell, grateful that Darcy had shooed everyone but Thor away under pain of tazing, because as soon as he broke the connection to the magic of the land and stopped his own from flowing with it to create the barrier, his knees went to water and he swayed back into Thor’s arms.

 

He may not have his usual strength and power but he was strong enough to hold his beloved up for as long as it was needed. “It is okay beloved, I have you.” He didn’t pick Loki up, knowing Loki wouldn’t want that but he did wrap his arm around him, supporting him with his own body. “Let us go somewhere private, where you can rest and regain your strength.”

 

Loki leaned on him, something he wouldn’t do with anyone else, and let Thor help him to a shadowed, private corner. He saw the still and concealed form of Barton up high but let it pass unmentioned. He didn’t trust the mortal with his life but he did know that the archer wasn’t the sort to speak of others’ weaknesses unless it would benefit him and his goals. He settled down into a chair and closed his eyes against the headache forming. “Barriers always take much more energy than anything else. It shouldn’t take very long for me to recover though.”

 

“It takes as long as it takes.” Thor said firmly and fretted for a while before bending down to kiss the tip of  Loki’s nose lightly. “Is there anything I can get you? Anything you wish for or could make resting up easier for you?”

 

“If there is any of that blue drink Darcy had before, that would be helpful,” the odd blue liquid she’d handed him the first night they were here had been called ‘Voltage’ and surprisingly energizing.

 

“Aye, I believe there is some left in the cold cupboard. I shall fetch it for you.” Thor hurried over to the dining area and found a bottle of blue liquid. He dashed back to where Loki was seated and handed him the bottle. “Here.” He sat down next to Loki, looking at him. “Are you alright? Being here in the desert heat every day?”

 

Loki took the drink, opening the bottle and tipping it back for a sip, “Aye. I’ve my own magic to guard myself from the heat. I could step into a volcano and remain unaffected.” He set his free hand over Thor’s, “No need to worry I’ll melt.”

 

“Just concerned about your comfort. I am glad you have got it covered.” Thor relaxed a little seeing that Loki was recovering, he was already looking less shaky and worn. “You think there is a way we can bring back Skurge from Amora’s clutches?” Thor doubted it but he had to ask all the same. Skurge had been a good comrade and it didn’t feel right, for such an honorable man to end up as a lackey for Amora.

 

“I don’t know. Perhaps,” he took another drink, “it depends on whether she’s used magic or charm to bring him to her side. If magic, the spell can break or be broken. If charm...that’s much more difficult for making him genuinely believe she cares for him would make him steadfastly loyal to her.”

 

Thor nodded slowly. “Magic love is not truly love but love that is real even if it is one sided is hard to break.” Thor would never have a way with words, not like Loki or Fandral but he was fairly confident that Loki understood what he meant. “If she charmed him then she is even more loathsome that I believed she could be.”

 

“You’ve always had high expectations,” it was a tease before he sobered, “She can get lower from tales I’ve heard coming from the Grove of her past deeds before her exile from it. This worries me. I know not how strong her magic has become nor how much dark energy she still carries with her from her rituals to slip between the worlds. Both are dangerous for her to have.”

 

“It is staggering to think that she was but a child when she was exiled from the Grove. How can a child be so wicked?” Thor really didn’t understand it. “We will stop her though, I am confident that we will. No magic or dark energy can beat all of us together.” Thor didn’t fool himself to think it would be easy but he had to believe they would come out victorious, otherwise what was the point?

 

Loki was far more cynical but he let Thor hold his optimism. “If naught else I’m certain yon archer will find some way to put an arrow through her eye before his red haired friend finished her.”

 

“Aye, they are a fearsome duo. I am glad we do not have to battle them. It would sadden me greatly.” Thor nodded again. He liked both the archer and Lady Natasha, they were warriors, his kind of people.

 

Loki inclined his head, lips curved as he finished the drink, “Aye though I would wager that Agent Coulson may well be capable of striking down an Asgardian without rumpling his suit.” His eyes invited Thor to laugh with him.

 

Thor chuckled, he loved seeing Loki happy and laughing. “Aye, the Son of Coul is formidable. I do not understand why he wears a noose around his neck each day though. Is it a custom for warriors of a certain rank?” He reached over and took a hold of Loki’s hand, lacing their fingers together. He still marveled that he could, that he was allowed to touch.

 

Loki rubbed his fingers against Thor’s, “I believe it is an old fashion, one that sets a particular image in the mind. It is a way for him to blend into the crowd yet also stand out when necessary.” He didn’t have to exert nearly the amount of energy to keep his glamour in place when Thor touched him, it let him relax and his strength return faster. “Tis no different from the skirts worn by the elves.”

 

“I suppose not. I just find it strange to wear something that could so easily be used as a weapon against you.” Thor’s thumb rubbed circles against the back of Loki’s hand, it had quickly become a habit and it soothed him. “I am still a stranger to the Midgardian customs, there are so many of them. Each one equally fascinating.” Thor really did love this world with all its complexities.

 

“Aye they are. And those are only the customs we’ve learned of here in this little corner. Imagine the customs of the other countries.” He soaked in the touch, falling silent as he did to better bask in the feel of Thor’s hand on his.

 

“When all this is over and done with, perhaps we can explore those other countries. Just to learn and not have some terror breathing down our necks.” Thor didn’t need Loki to reply, just sitting here with his love was enough and he wanted Loki to rest up and regain his energy.

 

He hummed in approval and closed his eyes in order to reach out with his other hand and use both to map out every dip, hollow, rise, scar, and callous on Thor’s hands, committing them to memory. It was something he’d done for a long time, memorizing the feel of things rather than the sight. Your sight can lie to you too easily to fully trust it. He prefered what he could feel.

 

Thor stretched his legs out, making himself comfortable as he held on to Loki’s hand, continuing to rub soft little circles with his thumb. It was such an easy chaste touch between them and still it made Thor feel nearly breathless, comforted and at home. Loki was home for him. Loki was everything.

 

Loki heard a soft step outside the tent then the hesitation at the entrance and turned to look at Darcy, who was starting to back out. “What is it?”

 

“Oh, um well. They’ve got quarters set up for you and Thor. I figured you might wanna nap after doing the mojo.”

 

Loki nodded, “Perhaps it might be a good idea.” He hadn’t actually slept much since coming to Midgard. Too much to see and do and with the magic he’d just used, it was making its impact known.

 

“Thank you Lady Darcy.” Thor inclined his head at her and brought Loki’s hands to his lips so he could kiss the slender, pale hand. “Could I bother you to show us where these quarters are?” Thor could admit that he wanted to lie down, curl up around Loki and just rest.

 

“Not a problem. It’s why I came,” Darcy gave him a grin.

 

Loki got up and followed Darcy to the quarters he and Thor had been given. They were small of course, just a bed and a dresser. He listened to Darcy talk about the group shower down the hall and set a small handdrawn map on the table before leaving him and Thor alone. He sat on the bed and let his clothes melt back into his usual apparel from the Midgardian style he adopted while around the others before starting to remove the armor.

 

Thor let out a little sigh, he really liked seeing Loki in his normal clothing. Not that he didn’t love Loki no matter what he wore but there was something special about that clothing. He sat down on the edge of the bed and began to unlace his boots, he did not want to go to sleep with his boots still on. “We have slept in worse places than this. Remember the unicorn expedition and Volstagg’s gas problem? I fear we accidently poisoned all unicorns in the area with Volstagg’s upset stomach.”

 

Loki snickered, “I can assure you they were not poisoned though they have become greatly wary of approaching me until they are certain Volstagg is not in the area.” He finished removing his armor, took off his boots, his overcoat, leathers, and brocade doublet until he wore only a light tunic and breeches.

 

Thor drank him in with his eyes, taking in the sleek, wiry muscles and hidden strength. Sometimes Loki could look frail but Thor knew that he did not need his magic to take down any warrior if he wished to. "Smart creatures, anyone should be wary of approaching when Volstagg has had eggs." He said it fondly because he loved his friend, gas problems and all.

 

Loki chuckled and settled his cheek on Thor’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of lightning and rain that was simply a part of Thor no matter his powers or lack of them. It was a scent that would always be a favorite.

 

"Sleep now." Thor shifted so that Loki would be more comfortable, raking his fingers through impossibly soft hair. "You still need your rest beloved." When it came to Loki, Thor seemed to have dropped the word my or mine from his vocabulary.

 

Loki tugged, pulling Thor down with him so they lay on the narrow bed, and wiggled into a position that would be comfortable for both of them. “You should sleep as well. Especially as I’m fairly sprawled over you and have no intention of moving til dawn.” He closed his eyes even as he spoke, letting the comfort of Thor’s mere presence lull him into sleep where the worry over Amora could be chased away for a few hours.

 

Thor laid awake for a few moments, just relishing in the simple pleasure of soft sheets and Loki's weight draped over him. For now this was more than enough and he fell asleep happy.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Dawn came and light from the stingy window sliced across Loki’s face, prompting him to mutter irritably and bury against Thor’s chest. He was _not_ a morning person.  
The irritable muttering and squirming woke Thor up and he barely resisted the urge to chuckle. Loki would not appreciate it but he was adorable in the mornings. He ran his fingers up and down Loki's back, trying to ease his first moments of wakefulness.

He very nearly purred and definitely did arch up into the fingers, enjoying the more intimate touch. He turned his head to nose at Thor’s throat, smiling at the rasp of beard.  
This time Thor did chuckle, a low rumble of a chuckle. Loki was so much like a cat at times, it made Thor just want to pet him. "Good morning beloved. I hope your sleep was restful."

“Mmm dreamless and comfortable,” it was spoken against Thor’s throat, “And yours?”

“It was restful, I slept well and soundly.” Thor had slept better than in a very long time. Loki’s closeness and the sound of his heartbeat had lulled Thor to sleep better than any lullaby.

“Good. I intend to stay, right here, until my body bids me to move. Or we’re bothered, whichever comes first.” Loki was comfortable and he didn’t get truly comfortable often so he was not at all interested in giving that up as of yet.

Thor chuckled again and kept up running his hands over Loki’s back. “Feel free to stay where you are as long as you wish. I am very comfortable, right here.” He hoped they wouldn’t be bothered until they were good and ready.

Loki’s own fingers went to slide through Thor’s hair, lips twitching in amusement as it was still as soft as a rabbit’s pelt despite the utter lack of care Thor had regarding it. As far as his...lover? was concerned, it was there, it covered his head, and aught else had never mattered to Thor.

“Is there something that amuses you?” Thor quirked a brow at Loki. As long as Loki was smiling though, Thor was as happy as could be.

“You.” Loki lifted his head so Thor could see he didn’t mean it cruelly, “You’re so guileless,” he brushed his lips over Thor’s. “Tis part of your charm.”  
Thor did not know how to reply to that so instead he simply smiled, stroking the smooth skin on the back of Loki's neck with rough, calloused fingers. "If you say so beloved."

“I say so,” Loki kissed him again, moving a hand to rest over Thor’s heart, feeling the beat of it.  
"Alright then." Thor agreed amiably as he continued to press small, light kisses over Loki's face, cheeks, eyelids, forehead and chin.

Loki shifted and moved to chase Thor’s lips just as a knock came on the door.

“Loki? Thor? Forgive me for intruding,” Hogun’s voice spoke softly, “but the Lady Darcy wishes to know what you would like to break your fast as she is sending some of the Midgardian stewards into the village to retrieve decent sustenance.”  
"It looks like it is time to face the day, ready or not." Thor sounded regretful because with the day their safe little haven here would be gone and the real world would take its place. "What would you like to break the fast?" Thor asked Loki gently.  
Loki sighed and got off of Thor, moving to stretch, “Just some of those pastries and tea will do me.”  
"Very well, I shall tell Hogun." Thor got out of bed and moved to the door of the trailer. As long as there would be mead of some kind, he would be happy. He was not picky.

\--------------------------------

Phil pulled himself up the last rung of the post so that his head was even with Hawkeye’s thigh. It had been a week of tension, Loki’s barrier crackling when this Skurge character tried to breech it, odd flickers around the base, and strange animals either Darcy or Clint managed to see before they caused any damage. Everyone was beginning to get a little snippy and Phil was possibly the worst since Captain America was still unconscious and he’d _still_ not been able to go see his hero in the flesh. Not to mention last night he’d been a little...loud with Clint and had been ribbed about it all day, “Anything new?”  
"Other than more flickering shadows and a fuckton of sand everywhere I look...Nope. At this pace we'll be stuck here forever." Clint wasn't any happier than Phil. He had no problem being patient when it came to catch a target but this was different, this was a drawn out game of hide and seek and it was obvious that this Amora character were just testing out their strengths and weaknesses. 

Phil shifted so his cheek was pressing against Clint’s thigh. He knew exactly what the woman after Thor was up to and he knew that soon someone was going to break and he had a bad feeling it wouldn’t be them. “We won’t be stuck here forever. One way or another, we’ll be leaving the desert soon.” He looked out over the bleached sand and cactus, “You might find it amusing to know that there is a note up on the corkboard congratulating you for performing a miracle.”  
"A miracle?" Clint raised a brow, his hand smoothing over Phil's hair. "What sort of miracle would that be? I am many things but a miracle worker....not on my list of skills."

“Apparently to the rest of SHIELD, getting me to lose my composure in any setting is a miracle,” he looked up at Clint’s eyes, “For some reason they seem to think I’m as stoic in bed as anywhere else and find it astonishing that I can enjoy sex enough to shout.”  
Clint's eyes shone with amusement. "Then they are idiots, in everything you do, every movement, you are blazing fire barely contained by a thin layer of ice. If they don't see that they are blind." His grin turned smug. "Besides...sex with me...of course you're loud. Not a miracle, just my natural sexiness." He winked at Phil.

He slid his free hand over Clint’s calf, “Well you are making the rounds of SHIELD gossip officially as a sex god. I don’t mind them being idiots when that’s known, and _I_ know that only I get to have you. They are perfectly welcome to gnash and wail in despair.” He could feel the irritation of the morning washing out of him playing with Clint like this.  
"Pssht, I am the one they are jealous of because I bagged you...you have no idea how hot you are do you? How many people want you? But you are mine so they can suck it." Clint smiled, smoothing a fingertip over Phil's brow. "Just as I am all yours. Wouldn't want it any other way."

Phil nodded, “Exactly. I-” His head whipped around as a loud rumble echoed across the desert but all he could see was a plume of dust in the distance. “Hawkeye?”  
Clint shifted and stood narrowing his eyes to get a better look. "Weird stone creature thingie, definitely not a normal, earthbound desert dwelling species. Better get the alien brigade ready because this thing is heading straight for us." He pulled out an explosive arrow from his quiver, hoping to slow the thing down.

Phil nodded sharply and slid back down the pole to the bottom of the tent before opening his com line, “Hostile coming in our direction, magical in nature. Get the civilians to safety and get the Asgardians out here.”  
Thor looked at Loki as he heard that and he stood to go out. He might not have his powers but he refused to stay behind like some damsel. Amora was after him and he would not hide.

Loki cast his gaze briefly at Thor but he said nothing against what he knew was going through Thor’s mind. “Have a care with yourself,” he slid his hand along the breadth of Thor’s shoulders, “Warrior though you remain my love, we’ve none of the healing springs here. So, don’t get too badly injured by doing something cabbageheaded. I want a long life with you.”

“Aye, I wish for the same thing. A long and healthy life. I shall have care. You have the same.” Thor leaned into Loki’s touch, happy that his beloved understood how he felt, that he simply could not cower in the background while all those he cared about fought.

Loki nodded, “I will guard myself,” he pulled Thor in for a soft kiss then strode out with him as the Warriors Four ran out as well. Loki cast a spell for far sight and breathed in slowly, calming himself, “A rock golem. The insane chit summoned a rock golem. This...is bad.”

“How bad,” Agent Coulson approached, stoic and completely businesslike but Loki could see the controlled fury beneath the placid exterior.

“The weapons we currently have available to us will not affect a rock golem. Explosives will make it fall apart for a few moments but so long as the summoner remains awake it will reconstitute itself.” Loki looked _exceptionally_ pissed off, “I know of only one weapon capable of destroying a rock golem.”

“We do not have that weapon available at this moment.” Thor looked sad and worried, he had only heard about rock golems through stories but he knew enough to know the kind of havoc they caused. “She is not talking to me.” It was so frustrating, now people, innocent people could get hurt because of him. Thor didn’t like it one little bit.

“So we take Amora out and the golem disappears?” Coulson had the com channel wide open so everyone could hear.

“Crumbles without rising again,” Loki responded as he spotted Amora, hiding well behind Skurge as they advanced.

“Hawkeye did you copy that?”

“Loud and clear Sir.” Clint had eyes on the blond woman behind the large man. She was a looker...the crazier they were, the prettier they were too, wonder why. He picked out a taser arrow, would have gladly gone for something more deadly but he figured better chance to actually kill or capture her if she was out cold. Clint nocked the arrow and let it fly.

Skurge shifted at a gentle hand directing him over and barely twitched as an arrow bounced off his chest armor.

“Damn,” Loki cursed just as the golem charged and rammed through the barrier he’d set, shattering it. He summoned a bolt of magic and hurled it at the golem as the Warriors Four charged it. Damned fools.

Thor watched, feeling utterly helpless and hating it. He watched the golem swipe at Sif, sending her tumbling back, Fandral being struck to as he tried to help her up. _‘Please, please Mjolnir, help them. You can spurn me as you like but do not let anyone get hurt because of me. Choose another if I am not enough but please help us defeat the golem and keep these treasured people safe.’_ Thor was begging desperately.

Loki cursed and raised a thick wall of ice between the golem and the others, one that the rock amalgam couldn’t break through.

Coulson took aim and shot at fracture points in the rock golem’s joints, drawing its attention as clouds began to gather overhead.

Natasha cried out and shot her widow’s bite at the construct as the golem reached Coulson and drew back to strike him, if he died Clint would be devastated, but it didn’t so much as make the golem shift its attention.

Loki muttered under his breath, replacing the mortal agent with himself in a blink, just in time for a boulder foot to send him flying through the air.

“No!” It was a roar and Thor was running forward toward the golem. He would not let anyone get hurt and he would not stand for Loki to be kicked around like that. It wasn’t in him. “Amora stop! If you want me you have me but call the golem off.” He slowed down to make sure that Loki was moving and alright as he could be before motioning for his friends to take care of Loki as he continued to run forward. Perhaps he couldn’t take on the golem but he would try if he could not make Amora listen. 

Amora tsked, “Really Thor darling, I am not such a fool as to imagine you can give me what I want. Not with the monster foundling so _firmly_ entrenched in your heart. But I will _happily_ take a sort of payment from your hide.” Power crackled around her hand and she punched the air, sending a flaming blade piercing through Thor’s shoulder.

“No!” Loki watched the fire lick up over Thor’s shoulder and down his arm and ran over, coating his hands with ice to put the fire out as Thor collapsed, “Don’t you dare. Don’t you _dare_ die on me Thor Odinson, not after it took us so long to get to where we are.”

Everything was agony, bright burning pain but Thor had no intention of dying. He did not want to hurt Loki like that. He would however do anything he could to keep his beloved safe, even at the cost of himself. He fought to stagger back to his feet. “Call this foolishness off Amora!” Thor looked over at Loki, begging the other man to retreat to safety with his eyes. Thunder sounded in the distance and the entire area felt charged. For once the sound and feeling did nothing to comfort him. “This world and the people in it are innocent. You do not have the right to be here and hurt them.”

“I have the _power_ and that gives me the right to do as I please with these little fleas,” another spell cast had Hawkeye’s tower turning to dust beneath him.

Loki threw a hand out and sent a wind spell to cushion the fall so the archer wasn’t wounded and shouted, “For the love of the Norns Odin! What more proof does Mjolnir need before she is satisfied?! I swear if I’m left a bedamned virgin because your pissy hammer has an impossible standard I will make your life a living _Hel_!” He absolutely did not have the patience for this insanity at present. He sent a spell at Amora, growling as it found Skurge instead, the other Jotun shaking it off easily.

Clint shook his head, a little disoriented from having the ground literally knocked out from beneath him. He watched as the blond moron continued to walk toward the large rock monster though he could barely stand. 

“Power does not equal right.” Thor heard Loki’s words but he couldn’t afford to focus on them right now. He had known that his Father and Mother would not take him back into their grace. He had not earned it. “All you are proving here is that you are a weak creature, pushing your power on others because you cannot win their love or affection in any other manner.”

A large raven cawed high in the air, swiftly followed by a second one, circling the area just beneath the thunder clouds.

Amora gave a wordless screech of rage and began throwing magic around as if she had it to burn while the golem advanced on Thor. Loki was kept too busy deflecting the spells from hitting the innocent to be able to send an attack directly at Amora or to stop Thor’s foolish advance. So when the golem reached him and struck Loki could feel his heart break into a thousand, sharp edged shards and he hit his knees, knowing that Thor wouldn’t have survived such a blow whilst mortal. “No.” It was a desperate whisper of denial and a single tear slid down his cheek, leaving a trail of blue in its wake.

Volstagg was roaring behind the wall of ice, wanting to get to his prince. 

Hawkeye was at a loss for words, something that didn’t happen often. He liked the blond carebear. And though he liked to rib Loki he didn’t want to see the man in this kind of pain. He could only imagine in horror how it would feel if it had been Phil.

The ravens cawed again just as lightning struck the unmoving blond. It struck again, leaving the ground shaking from the force of it.

Amora laughed, “Odin do you really think that will work? After you exiled your own son? You think a little lightning will save h-ugh!” She was blown back by wild, crackling blue energy that seared through her with a sickening cold. She gasped, trying to gain her feet as she saw Loki, all glamours gone, standing red eyed, blue skinned, absolutely _furious_ , and the air around him absolutely _alive_ with magic.

“You think you have power Amora? That draining the life energy from others gives you it? Allow me to show you what real power is,” Loki cast another spell that froze the Executioner to the ground, preventing him from coming to Amora’s aid, and then fired a third spell at the witch, not caring that she was turning her golem toward him. Without Thor what did it matter? What did any of it matter?

Sif gasped, leaning on Hogun as she saw Loki fully revealed for the first time in memory and angrier than she had ever seen him. It was frightening and it was heartbreaking to behold.

Fandral was frozen in shock, he could not take in what was happening. That they had lost Thor, he feared they would lose Loki too.

The ravens cawing turned into angry shrieks and they dove against Amora with claws and beaks as a low humming filled the air and Mjolnir came soaring through the air to be caught in a strong hand, the arm clad in familiar armor. 

Thor rose, Mjolnir feeling at home in his hand. He spun her round and sent her toward the golem with all his strength. “ENOUGH!” 

Loki froze in place and turned at the sound of Thor’s voice, with the underlying rumble of power that had been missing since he’d seen him on Midgard, and he shook, a soft exclamation of joy escaping him at the sight before his eyes. He drank in Thor’s appearance, clean and back in armor as if he’d never lost his power, as the golem shattered, lightning striking the remains and leaving them dead.

Of course there’s always something or someone and he felt the splash of weak fire magic against the aura around him. He turned and cocked a brow at Amora, who was now scrambling backwards as quickly as she could. He closed the distance in three, quick strides and reached down, grabbing her wrist. “You almost cost me that which I hold most dear.”

“So kill me. For I will simply escape another prison.”

He yanked her up and closed his hand around her neck, knowing his skin was burning hers with the cold, “Death is too good for you. I have another fate in mind for you, one that not even the darkest magics can wrest you from.”

Mjolnir came back into Thor’s hand like she belonged there. Thor walked over to where Loki was, he would not interfere with Loki’s handling of Amora, whatever fate that awaited her, she had brought it on herself. He stood close though, needing to be close to the man he loved more than anything. He loved Loki just as much in this appearance as in any other. To him, Loki would always be beautiful.

Fandral whooped out in joy, seeing Thor alive and with his powers restored. Volstagg just sagged in relief.

Sif laughed in joy at the sight of Thor alive, well and back to himself, and bounced so heartily that she over balanced Hogun, sending him down into the dirt with her.

Coulson made it over to Clint,hooking a hand under his arm to help him up, “Any injuries?”

“No, little boy blue over there put me down safe and sound.” Clint leaned toward Phil, looking his lover over closely. “How about you?” Phil had been much closer to the rock monster. This had been a close call, much too close for Clint’s comfort. 

He shook his head, “No. Loki made the switch before anything could touch me.”

Loki was aware of Thor’s presence at his back and Amora’s scrabbling terror and twitched in irritation. “Much as I want to be the one to pass judgement, that is not my place but Odin’s.” He wove magic together into unbreakable chains and a gag for both Amora and Skurge. The chains would drain the strength from them and keep Amora’s magic bound. “Which means this trip is to be cut short.”

“Think of it as a pause beloved.” Thor placed a hand at the small of Loki’s back, not even twitching at the cold, it didn’t bother him. “You can pick up your trip soon and I would be happy to join you...if I am not needed at home.” His father had to be very tired by now and Thor didn’t think he could let his parents down again, not while he could help it. 

“After your father wakes from Odinsleep then,” Loki leaned into the touch for a moment before letting his magic crawl over his skin again, guarding others from the cold of his Jotun heritage. He flicked his fingers, bringing down the ice wall so that the Warriors Four could surge forward to clap their hands on Thor’s back, and take possession of Skurge and Amora in case either tried to escape.

“I think our mission just ended.” Clint looked at the Aesir slowly coming closer to where they were, Thor holding the hammer securely. “What do you think Fugly will say about the aliens and the artifact leaving?” Clint hoped it would give the director one hell of a headache frankly. He had not forgiven Fury for keeping Phil away from the Captain America mission.

“Before or after he comes down from the ceiling?” Coulson murmured before giving his attention to the group of Asgardians as Darcy and Jane ran out and Natasha limped up.

Jane looked Thor up and down, few people could carry off a red sheet that well. “Are you leaving?” 

Fandral bent and kissed Darcy’s hand. “It will be saddening indeed to be taken away from your lovely features mylady.”

“I really should write that off as the head injury,” Darcy’s lips twitched as she leaned in on tip toe and kissed his cheek, “but I’ll be magnanimous.” Then she moved over to Loki, literally hopping up to give him a hug. “You're coming back right? You’re gonna come back and come see me and Janey first.”

“Of course. You are my favorite Midgardians.” He pat her back and let her move on to give Thor a tackle hug.

Thor laughed and hugged her tightly though he was careful not to hug her too tight. “How could we ever stay away? You still have so much to teach us Lady Darcy, Lady Jane.” He put her down on her feet and nodded at the Son of Coul and his agents. “Thank you for your aid in this and in everything since we arrived. I am most grateful.”

“It’s our job, but it was...” Phil paused, “an adventure even by our standards. And a pleasure to meet you Thor.” he looked at Loki, “You I am still making my mind up about.”

Loki chuckled, “And after all the fun we’ve had? I’m wounded.” He smirked at the archer and held out a hand, “I will miss annoying you.”

“I will not miss being annoyed by you...But you’re always welcome to visit and liven things up.” Clint grinned and stepped forward, holding his hand out toward Loki. “Perhaps we should combine our skills...Oh I have a man I would love to prank with your help.” He cackled at the thought of what he and Loki would be able to do to Fury. 

Clouds gathered again over their heads, swirling in a multi colored spiral. 

“Looks like it is time for us to leave.” Thor looked at the portal beginning to open.

Loki nodded and gave Clint a sly grin, “You will have to give me the details when we return. Good day archer, Agent,” he gave Natasha a falsely sweet smile, “Assassin.”

“Pain in the ass,” Natasha nodded and gave Sif a much warmer goodbye.

“Ah yes, Barton, see to it your red haired sister seeks medical attention before the spell burn spreads farther up her leg.” Loki bid adieu to Jane and grabbed Thor’s cape, “Let us go home.”

Thor reached for Loki’s hand, tangling their fingers together as they moved toward the portal. Volstagg and Hogun dragging the prisoners with them as Clint went mother hen on Natasha, poking and prodding her to go to the medbay instantly.

“I love you Loki, thank you for being here and for being you.” Thor spoke in words low enough so that only Loki heard them.

“Where else would I be?” Loki smiled up at him, “I’m rather irrevocably stuck on you,” just as they stepped into the portal he brought Thor’s head down into a kiss. 

Thor returned the kiss as the world blurred around them. When he opened his eyes again it was to the sight of the platform by Bifrost, Heimdall and his parents being present. 

“Welcome home.” Odin smiled, clad in the cloak of unicorn hair that Loki had gifted him. “My sons.” He moved forward to greet them.

Frigga beat him to them however and caught both her boys in a fragrant embrace, “Yes welcome home.” She pulled back to cup Thor’s face, smiling, “I knew you would someday learn the right lesson.”

Thor kissed his mother’s forehead. “It was a harsh lesson...but a necessary one.” He finally understood what everyone had been trying to teach him for a very long time. He was grateful for having been banished. It led him to Midgard, to Loki and that was worth everything. “Thank you.” 

Odin, clasped Loki’s upper arms, pulling him in for an embrace. “Thank you, for standing by him as he learned. It is good to see you again. All of you.” He nodded to the warriors four. Then his face turned into a mask as he looked at Amora and Skurge. He summoned a box and opened it, revealing plain golden bracelets within. “These would suit you much better than chains, wouldn’t they Amora?” 

He took the bracelets and moved to her side, watching as her eyes widened in fear. “I see you know them.” He clasped first one and then the other on her slender wrists. They glowed with runes and then they seemed to melt into her skin. “Your magic is now bound, the bracelets cannot be removed, even upon your death. I think you will find that any prison will hold you now. You do not have any powers any longer.”

Frigga stepped forward, moving around Loki, though she did give his arm a pat, before speaking, “As for your prison and further punishment, _I_ have given much thought on that and spoken to the Norns,” Frigga laid her hand on Amora’s throat, murmuring softly beneath her breath and once she removed her hand a golden collar of runes glowed around her neck, “As your tongue holds too much venom it is silenced for eternity, your hands are bound from causing harm to another, and your prison,” Frigga’s smile was sharp, cold, and made it very clear that she was just as formidable as Odin, “Shall be the stables.” From her tone it was obvious she wasn’t speaking of a stable for horses.

Thor felt a moment of pity for the girl. The slave whorehouse was a horrible place and he had never gone near it. He forced himself to remember the things she had done, the people she had killed and the lives ruined. Amora had brought her fate on herself and she deserved no pity. He gripped Loki’s hand tighter, not wanting to let it go. 

Odin’s personal guards came to take Amora and Skurge away, Amora’s mouth open in a silent scream as she was led away.

Loki squeezed Thor’s hand gently, exchanging a look with Frigga, not at all surprised that she’d read his mind in regard to Amora’s punishment.

Frigga brushed her hands down her gown, “Now, I do believe the entire lot of you,” she swept the Warriors, Thor, and Loki, with a look, “Are due for a treatment in healing springs.” Her tone brooked no argument.

Loki bowed, “Of course.” He tugged on Thor’s hand, “Come along then, healing, cleaning, then discussions.”

“Aye beloved.” Thor followed obediently, he could think of worse things than shedding his clothes and having a bath in the healing springs alongside Loki. 

“Your majesties.” The Warriors bowed toward their rulers before heading to the springs as well. 

Odin was beaming at Frigga over the fact that their boys had finally admitted their feelings toward each other. 

She took his hand, “Come husband. Let us retreat to our rooms. Tomorrow is the delayed coronation and you enter the Odinsleep. Thor will sit the throne and Loki will temper him as you rest.”

“Aye, I must admit I look forward to it.” He was so very tired and the magic of sending his birds and the thunder to Midgard had taken the last of his strength. “Loki will be a good ruler alongside Thor and you will be there to guide them my love.”

Frigga kissed his cheek and shouldered some of his weight under guise of cuddling with him as they walked, “Aye they will rule well together and after, I suggest we send them to Midgard again. Not exile though. Merely...visiting for an extended time.”

Odin nodded. “They will like that, Midgard is a fascinating place and they can learn much there.” Besides, Odin knew that Loki could never be tethered and where he went, Thor would follow. That was how it was supposed to be.

\--------------------------------

Loki stripped out of his clothes without shame, it wasn’t as though he and Thor had never seen each other naked before. They had, many times, so there was no point in being shy about his body now. Even though it looked like one big bruise at the moment.

Thor hissed as he saw the bruises, all pity for Amora definitely vanishing once and for all. He shed his own armor and clothes, the shoulder and arm Amora had burnt still stinging. He brought Loki into the spring with him, the water pleasant against their skin as they waded deeper. He settled behind Loki, stroking water over his beloved’s skin.

Loki’s eyes slid half shut and he leaned back, carefully so as not to jar Thor’s burns, and sent tendrils of his magic into the water, enhancing the healing properties. “Twas close today.”

“Aye, too close.” Thor was still shaken, he had come so close to losing Loki, just when they had truly found each other. 

Fine tremors began to shiver through Loki and he soon found himself biting his lip hard. Far from unaffected now that all was well, he was experiencing a delayed reaction to seeing Thor ‘die’ in front of him and it made him ill and his heart break all over again. For a few agonizing moments he’d lost his reason for...everything and it took all the self control he had not to burst into tears.

“Shh, shhh beloved.” Thor felt Loki tremble and he wrapped himself tighter around the other man. “I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you. I am so sorry beloved. We are here, safe and alive and I will never leave you again.” Thor hushed and stroked his arms along Loki’s shivering form.

“You almost died,” it was a strangled whisper, “and you can not do that to me but if you start following me everywhere like you were before I will tie you to the bed.” Loki turned in Thor’s arms, pressing his face to his throat, “I love you, and I will be with you until all the stars go out, but not literally. You and I both will need occasional time for our own pursuits, which are not allowed to be dangerous ones. We face all the dangers together or not at all.”  
"Agreed beloved." Thor couldn't help but chuckle. "I swear to you on Mjolnir herself that I shall not be your shadow or try to keep you on an invisible leash. You are vibrant and free and you are right, we are going to need time to ourselves at times. I shall always be with you though because you carry my heart with yours."

“Oddly enough I rather thought I had handed you mine, a long time ago. So where do they guard themselves? Your chest or mine?” The chuckle had vibrated against him and allowed Loki to let the terror and the moment of heartbreak go. Thor was here, dwelling on what _could_ have happened was pointless.  
Thor would always remember how it had felt to see Loki hurt and he would always remember how it felt to die. It made him treasure life all the more. It was another lesson that he would do his best to learn from. "I do not care where our hearts are, as long as they are together and one."

“They are, and they will remain so,” he reached up and pulled Thor’s mouth to his in a low, slow kiss.

Humming appreciatively, Thor kissed back, tasting Loki as the water lapped at their skin, taking away their aches and pains. 

Loki’s fingers slid into Thor’s hair, feeling the grit of sand remaining from the desert, and pressed as close as he could. Thor ran hot, always had, but it was never uncomfortable. Even in the very rare times he slipped and dropped the protection against high temperatures, Thor never felt too hot. Just warm and comforting.

Thor leaned into the touch and kissed down Loki’s neck, nibbling the the smooth skin, happy to see the bruises grow paler and vanishing. He kept the kisses and touching light, they were both too worn right now to do much else but it felt good to touch.

Loki made a sound that was very nearly a purr and ran his own hand down Thor’s burned arm, sweeping his magic over it in a cooling, rapidly healing spell. He wanted no pain for his love. His other hand rested over Thor’s heart, feeling the raised lines of scarring forming branching tendrils where he knew Odin’s lightning would have struck. Loki had seen such scars before and they were actually quite beautiful. He smoothed his hands over as much of Thor’s skin as possible, soaking in the connection of touching so fully. 

Thor touched right back, smoothing his hands over as much of Loki’s skin as he could. Being this close to Loki, allowed to touch and love and be loved in return was making him feel better than any healing water ever could.

Loki sighed and pressed a kiss to Thor’s almost fully healed shoulder before resting his cheek on it. “Tomorrow will be busy.”

“Aye, it will be.” Thor was both excited and apprehensive about the the crowning. He wished it could have been done quietly. He knew his father had to rest, that he needed to enter Odinsleep but he was still worried he would do wrong by his people. “Slap me if I go cabbagehead.”

“I can assure you that I will give you a sound rap upon the head should you succumb to such.” Loki’s fingers drummed softly over Thor’s heart, “I doubt I will have to however.”

“It is a comfort knowing you are there to brain me should I need it.” Thor smiled, he hoped he was past his worst cabbagehead days. He would not rely on Loki to make all decisions for him, Thor hoped they could rule together, like his parents did. 

“I’ll catch you. You’ve often done the same for me, though I doubt you’ve known it.” A yawn startled Loki as it snuck out. He hadn’t been aware of being that tired.

Thor chuckled and kissed the corner of Loki’s mouth. “Come on beloved. Time to get out of the water and to bed. I believe we both need some solid sleep.” He stood and pulled Loki along along with him. He grabbed a soft cloth from the edge of the spring and began to dry his darling off.

A spell could have easily had him dry but he was enjoying this, the sheer sensual indulgence of it. He pushed Thor’s hands away when the blond made to dry himself and took over, giving him one amused look to silence protest before running the fluffy cloth over the rock hard body of his love. There were robes left where their clothing had been and he chuckled as he realized someone had likely seen them and fled as quickly as they could. He tossed one robe to Thor and slid into the other. “Shall we sleep in your chambers?” He had no intention of sleeping anywhere but by Thor’s side.

Thor thought about it and about the people he had tumbled in those fur. He knew it didn’t matter really but it still did not feel right. “Nay, I think we should rest in your chambers.” They were just going to sleep but he still wanted to change his furs before bringing the love of his life to his bed. Thor slid into the robe and tied it loosely around his waist. 

Loki studied him for a moment before nodding, “Come along then,” he laced his fingers with Thor and headed for his own chambers. He ignored the double takes of the few they passed, and certainly ignored the false faint one of the court ladies made before waving his chamber door open.

Thor followed Loki through the door, still holding his hand and smiling at his beloved’s flair. “The gossip mills will be working overtime out there.” Thor couldn’t care less. Loki was who he wanted and people could think whatever they wished about it.

Loki chuckled darkly, sealing his chambers shut, “Aye so it will. By morning all will know where you spent the night and the rumors shall be added to in order to make them more lurid,” he went to a set of jars on a table and set about efficiently rubbing one potion then another into different parts of himself. Many would think it vanity but the way the oils softened and pampered his skin was a secondary effect. He used then because for all that they made his skin soft, they also increased its durability and made it easier for the glamor to sink into his skin. “Which is exactly how I prefer it.”

Thor chuckled and settled to watch Loki perform his ritual with the salves and oils. He enjoyed looking at Loki, oh he enjoyed it very much. “I am yours beloved. I shall gladly shout it out from the top of the throne room tomorrow if you wish it.” Thor doubted that would be necessary though because Loki would be standing by his side when they received Odin’s and Frigga’s blessings at the ceremony.

“Not necessary. Those who don’t hear or believe the gossip will see the truth of it tomorrow. Of course if you wish to announce it I certainly won’t stop you.” He rubbed the final oil over his face and neck, twitching just the slightest bit as he felt the raised mark along the back of his neck. It had been there his entire life and all the magic in the world wouldn’t make it disappear. It was the mark of his family line, marking him as the eldest of Laufey’s offspring. 

“I wish to shout it out, as loud as I can, so it can be heard in all the worlds.” Thor smiled and dropped the robe where he was before moving toward the bed, sitting down next to Loki and pressing a kiss to that raised mark. He had noticed Loki’s twitch and he just wanted to show that he truly loved every piece of Loki.

Loki melted into him, “That will be interesting to say the least.” He shifted, turned to brush his lips over Thor’s chin and the thick scruff of it.

“Indeed it will.” Thor agreed and turned his head down to catch Loki’s lips with his own, cupping the other’s face in his broad hands as he kissed Loki tenderly. “Let us rest beloved, I believe mother will wake us bright and early tomorrow.” 

“Aye that she will,” Loki gave Thor’s bottom lip a soft nip before laying down, pulling his love with him and burrowing against his chest. “Dream well Thor.”

“You as well Loki, sweet dreams and a restful sleep.” Thor wrapped his arms around Loki and pulled him even closer. It was good to be home, he would miss Midgard but knowing they would return there, he and Loki together lessened the pain. The friends they had made in Midgard were safe and sound and Loki was right here with him. Thor had everything he had ever wanted right here in his arms.


End file.
